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Sibling landlords fined for shoddy home to let
A brother and sister in their mid-50s have been fined for failing to comply with improvement notices served on their rental property in Cornwall.
Ronald Bailey, 56, and Judith Bailey, 54, both of Frogpool in Truro pleaded guilty to two offences of failing to comply with notices served under Section 11of the Housing Act 2014, on a property they co-own and let in the city.
They were fined £800 (£400 per offence) and ordered to pay costs of £813 each to Cornwall Council and a victim surcharge of £20 each, totalling £1,233 each.
The council private sector housing team found damp, mould and excessive cold at the property, causing what was described as a significant health and safety hazard. The owners failed to commence or complete the required remedial works set out in the improvement notices.
The electric heating provision within the property was found to be inadequate and the timber framed windows were rotten and in a poor state of repair. The slate roof was also in a very poor condition and in every room on the first floor there was evidence of penetrating damp on the ceilings. Significant penetrating damp was also found in the ground floor living room.
Numerous compliance inspections were undertaken and it was discovered that neither of the two statutory notices served had been complied with.
The council says serious nature of the health and safety hazards was further compounded by the vulnerability of the elderly tenant, who has been renting at the property for approximately 30 years.
