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Landlord fined £1,300 over health risk house
A landlord has been made to pay more than £1,300 after a court heard the house he let was a health risk.
Stafford Magistrates were told the property on the town’s Highfield’s estate did not have smoke alarms, there was no handrail on the stairs and an insecure front door. Two people were living in the house at the time.
The court heard that landlord David Corry was contacted by the council because of the condition of the house but he did not provide them with the information he was required to as the landlord.
Corry pleaded guilty by post to two charges relating to his failure to provide information to the local authority in August and September last year.
He was fined £400 on each charge, ordered to pay more than £536 in costs and a victim surcharge of £40.
Julie Simpson, prosecuting, said: “An inspection of the property by an environmental health officer confirmed that it was not well managed or maintained in a reasonable condition.”
She added a request for information on the ownership and management of the property was served on Corry “but despite several reminders no information has been received by the council.”
In a letter read to the court, Corry said the house was currently empty and he had struggled to keep it up to scratch. He said he could not afford to do the required work and was going to sell it.
