Fine of £40,000 for landlord who put tenants at risk...

A landlord and his property company have been ordered to pay a total of £40,000 in fines after a council says he put tenants at risk.

Breckland council in East Anglia has taken enforcement action after an improvement notice was issued on a property last year.

It had a blocked fire escape, damaged fire doors, dangerous electrics and broken and rotten windows, causing the council to deem the property unsafe.

The landlord of the property, an HMO, was given time to carry out repairs. However, a follow-up inspection found insufficient progress had been made and, as a result, the council issued a £20,000 fine to the landlord company and £20,000 to the property company's director.

The fines have now been paid and will be used to fund further investigations in the district. Work to address the issues in the property has since been completed by the landlord.

A spokesperson for the council says: "The vast majority of Breckland's landlords provide well-maintained homes for their tenants and the quality of housing overall is very good. However, this case shows that the council will not tolerate a decline in housing quality or for residents to be put at risk and we will take action to protect our residents' right to live in a safe home."

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