Published: Monday, 29th January 2018

A landlord has been ordered to pay more than £4,000 after an elderly couple's home was found to have a catalogue of issues including broken electric storage heaters, mould and cracked roof tiles.

Mohammed Nadem Yasin was fined £1000 and ordered to pay £3053 costs and £100 surcharge at Bexley Magistrates Court on 22 January. The 38 year old from Mineral Street in Plumstead pleaded guilty to the failure to comply with an Improvement Notice under Section 30 of the Housing Act 2004.

The Royal Borough of Greenwich prosecuted Mr Yasin after he failed to address issues in the sub-standard home which his elderly tenants could not heat above 16 degrees centigrade.

The case was the result of an investigation by Royal Borough of Greenwich Environmental Health officers who visited the property in Lakedale Road, Plumstead.

Catalogue of issues

The Council officers discovered a catalogue of issues at the home including:

  • inappropriate and insufficient heating system with broken electric storage heaters
  • lack of thermal insulation
  • a non-working smoke alarm
  • lack of ventilators in the bathroom and kitchen resulting in major mould and damp issues
  • extremely flammable polystyrene ceiling tiles throughout the dwelling
  • broken roof tiles
  • gaps to the balustrade on the stairs and landing which needed fixing.

Improvement notice

An improvement notice was served ordering Mr Yasin to carry out works to remedy the heating, repair the roof and insulation, provide a working smoke alarm. He was also ordered to install ventilators in the kitchen and bathroom.

However Mr Yasin failed to comply with the notice and after several warnings court proceedings were brought.

Rogue landlord crackdown

The action was taken as part of the Council's crackdown on rogue landlords and drive to improve standards in the private rented sector which has grown in recent years to include 30,000 homes across the Royal Borough.

A key element is the extension of licensing to all homes in multiple occupancy which came into force last October. Landlords of such properties - which have three or more residents sharing kitchen or bathroom facilities from different households - are being urged to comply and warned they face penalty notices of up to £30,000 for failing to get a licences.

The Council is currently offering an early bird discount of up to 69 per cent if landlords sign up by 18 March.

The Royal Borough is also one of the first councils to submit information on its prosecutions to the London Mayor's GLA Rogue Landlords and Agents Checker. The online scheme gives private renters a way of checking to see if landlords or letting agents have been successfully prosecuted.

View the London Mayor's GLA Rogue Landlords and Agents Checker

'We will not hesitate to take action against landlords'

Councillor Jackie Smith, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Environment, said: "This property was in an appalling and potentially dangerous state and the landlord appeared to have a complete disregard for the health and well-being of the elderly couple who paid him rent to live there.

"I hope this case serves as warning that we will not hesitate to take action against landlords who flout the law and rent out sub-standard homes. We are determined to drive up standards in the private rented sector to ensure all residents in the Royal Borough of Greenwich live in well maintained accommodation which complies with the regulations which are in place to protect the safety tenants."