A private sector housing landlord was yesterday fined £400 and ordered to pay £510 costs by Coventry Magistrates Court for failing to carry out basic repairs in his rented property.

Mr Ashik Ali of 3 Gosport Road pleaded guilty to the offence of failing to comply with a Housing Act Notice served on him by Coventry City Council.

Prosecuting Solicitor, Jane Linekar told the court that in December last year an Environmental Health Officer visited the privately rented property in response to a complaint about the poor conditions. The result was that the flat was declared unfit and a repairs notice served. The list of repair work needed to be undertaken included:-

• Broken and boarded up window

The City Council’s Private Sector Housing team has the authority to serve repair notices on landlords where they feel the accommodation is unfit or in serious disrepair. These notices give a timescale in which work should be completed. Failure to do so is an offence.

Commenting on the case, Councillor Peter Lacy, Chair of the City Council’s Housing Policy Team said:

"Our Environmental Health officers work in partnership with private sector landlords to ensure they are aware of their legal obligations to provide suitable living conditions for their tenants. However, we will take legal action to protect people – who after all deserve a better quality of life – when and if a landlord intentionally fails to carry out vital repairs under a Housing Act Notice."

He added:

"This prosecution should send a clear message to private landlords across the city to ensure their properties are habitable. Those that fail to do may well face legal action if we receive complaints from private tenants."