Landlord fined £4,000 for safety issues
A landlord in Dawlish has been fined £4,000 for renting out an unsafe property.
Curtis Betteridge was prosecuted by Teignbridge District Council after ignoring warnings to make a flat on Iddesleigh terrace meet fire and safety regulations.
It is the first time Teignbridge has taken court action against a landlord.
The case was heard before South Devon Magistrates, sitting in Torquay, on Tuesday December 2. Mr Betteridge and the case has tried in his absence.
Mr Betteridge is the leaseholder of Flat 2, 2 Iddesleigh Terrace, Dawlish. The flat is in an older house that has been converted into flats classed as a House in Multiple Occupation (HMOs).
Other properties in the building meet all the necessary regulations and are rented out separately. None of the others are owned by Mr Betteridge.
Teignbridge wrote to Mr Betteridge in December 2011 following an inspection which highlighted fire risk issues.
He was asked to remove and to secure an interior fire door, link the fire alarm system to the rest of the building and to deal with inadequate heating.
Mr Betteridge was contacted several times since 2011 but no improvements were made at which point Teignbridge council decided court action was appropriate.
A collection order was made for the money to be paid within the next 28 days. Some works have since been carried out to improve the property.
Cllr Philip Vogel, Teignbridge District Council’s Executive Spokesperson for Housing and Planning, said: “Many landlords manage their properties really well and do not need our help; others may be inexperienced and turn to us for help and advice and that is something we are more than happy to give.
“We run regular one day landlord training courses, covering all aspects of letting including how to set up, manage and end a tenancy. We would urge all landlords, prospective landlords and accidental landlords to take advantage of what we can do for them and their future tenants.
“It’s really important that properties are free from hazards and are safe for tenants to live in. Mr Betteridge had previously promised to carry out the works and we had hoped he would make good on this promise.
“Unfortunately we had to go to court in order to get this done. We welcome the Magistrates’ decision.
“We prefer to work together as it’s a lot more productive but where properties fall below minimum standards and are not safe, we will enforce the legal standards which apply.”
Teignbridge council offers help to landlords to ensure their properties meet regulations and are worth letting. It also holds an annual Landlord Open Evening aimed at both experienced landlords and those considering letting for the first time.
For more information visit Teignbridge’s website: www.teignbridge.gov.uk/housing
