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Landlord pays £20,000 over health and safety offences.
A landlord must pay over £20,000 in fines and costs after pleading guilty to 28 offences relating to just two properties.
Terence Higgins, of Ware in Hertfordshire, pleaded guilty to 23 charges relating to an HMO including failures in gas, electrical and fire safety measures “which placed the tenants at significant risk of injury” according to the local authority which brought the charges.
There were other failures to protect the safety of tenants and inadequate maintenance of the building including extensive damp and mould that had been allowed to develop in one of the bedrooms, disrepair to windows and flooring, and unkempt front and rear gardens.
Five offences relating to a second property were as a result of failure to comply with Improvement Notices which had been served on Higgins in February and which had required him to rectify serious hazards in the property, including a collapsing ceiling.
The Court imposed fines of £14,000 – that was £500 for each offence – and ordered Higgins to pay costs to the council of £6,782.81. A Victim Surcharge of £120 was ordered making a total of £20,902.81.
Higgins had already incurred costs of £1375 as a result of the Improvement Notices.
Both properties have since been put on the open market which one being purchased by the council.
