Mohammed Qadeer was fined £4000 – equivalent to less than six months rent for a house in the town, after an inspection on a Scunthorpe rental property revealed hazardous electrics, no heating and broken windows.
According to new research, only 39 of the UK’s 2.6m landlords have ever been banned for the condition of their properties – just 0.0015% of UK landlords - despite official figures showing over 4 million rented homes do not meet minimum housing standards.
Tenants rights regarding heating state that tenants are entitled to central heating or heating equipment such as radiators in every occupied room – and landlords are obliged to provide this.
Under Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 landlords are expected to carry out repairs “in reasonable time” – within 24 hours in the event of emergency repairs such as no heating or hot water.
Ajay Jagota, who believes the case shows that the system is failing to keep tenants safe, said: “The council bringing the prosecution has said that this case should serve as a warning to other landlords, but to me, it just highlights how much they can get away with.
“Landlords are supposed to make repairs ‘in reasonable time’. This took a court case, the outcome of which has left the landlord able to pay off this fine with a couple of months rent and free to let out more properties.
“4.6 million rented homes in the UK do not meet minimum standards. 1 million aren’t fit for human habitation and over 1 million have a damp problem. Countless other renters are living day after day with their landlord not fixing things. But landlords are hardly ever brought to task, with only 39 ever receiving banning orders.
“How long were these tenants asking themselves questions like ‘how long does a landlord have to fix an electrical problem’ and ‘how long can landlord leave you without heating’. The truth is most renters don’t have the confidence or legal skills to fight their case.
“Veriwise was created to provide justice to the most vulnerable of renters, regardless of the circumstances – as well as seeking compensation where possible – something far too few of them receive.”
