A British landlord who failed to take action against troublesome tenants, or apply for a landlord licence, has been fined in excess of £10,000.
Residents of Saltwell Street, Gateshead were forced to endure ‘threats, verbal abuse and noise’ from tenants of a home owned by Mr Steven Enright, who owns a number of properties across Britain’s North East.
Mr Enright was advised by councils to evict his troublesome tenants, but failed to do so.
The buy-to-let landlord was also discovered to have failed to apply for a landlord licence.
Numerous complaints to councils outlined how neighbours felt ‘frightened in their own homes’, concerned for the safety of their children, ‘threatened’ and, in one case, forced to move out following incessant ‘verbal abuse and noise’.
Mr Enright, who claimed that he was ‘just trying to show some humanity’ towards his tenants by not seeking their eviction, admitted to a Court that he had not obtained references for the tenants in question.
Pleading guilty to three charges under the Housing Act 2004, Enright was fined a total of £10,250.
District Judge Elsey told the court that “these were serious offences and by his failure to deal with the antisocial behaviour, unnecessary alarm and distress had been imposed on innocent victims, who had been driven from their homes”.
Judge Elsey advised that sentencing was necessary to send out a message to other landlords concerning the importance of correctly fulfilling legal responsibilities and licensing obligations.
Mr Enright was fined £7,000 for failing to effectively manage anti-social behaviour, £3,000 for failing to apply for a landlord licence and £250 for failing to remain a member of a landlords association.