June 23, 2021 10.28 am This story is over 33 months old

Lincolnshire landlord fined more than £4.2k for unsafe home

There were dangerous electrical throughout and no heating

| Photo: North Lincolnshire Council

A Scunthorpe landlord has been hit with a fine of more than £4,200 for providing tenants with a home so unsafe it was deemed ‘an imminent risk to life’.

North Lincolnshire Council brought a prosecution against Mohammed Qadeer under the Housing Act 2004 after an inspection on the property revealed serious safety breaches.

Officers discovered hazardous electrics with bare wires exposed in the bathroom and electrical sockets in rooms exposing connections.

There was no fire detection system in the property and no door on the kitchen which was the only form of access. There was no proper form of heating and the tenants were using portable heaters. Kitchen and living room windows were also broken.

The council served a Prohibition Order on the defendant, which prevented the use of the property for residential use until the hazards were repaired.

Following a re-inspection of the property, officers discovered the property was still occupied in breach of the Prohibition Order and prosecuted Mr Qadeer.

The government is concerned about the standard of electrics in rented accommodation and has given councils new powers to issue fines of up to £30,000 where the electrics in properties have not been properly inspected.

Councillor John Davison, cabinet member for safer, stronger communities – urban, said: “The vast majority of landlords provide tenants with good quality, safe accommodation.

“Where landlords refuse to comply with their legal duties, our officers will not hesitate to step in and take enforcement action where necessary, even where landlords live outside North Lincolnshire.

“This prosecution should act as a warning to other landlords who may be inclined to cut corners and endanger their tenants.”