Landlord fined over illegally-let property

A landlord who illegally rented out a South Croydon flat to tenants without getting the required licence has been ordered to pay a £6,000 fine.

Croydon Council reminded Raymond Brock several times over six months that he needed to apply for a licence on the property in Warham Road and pay the £750 licence fee, but he did neither and continued to rent to tenants.

Mr Brock, of Bedwardine Road in Upper Norwood, also failed to respond to council notices that legally required him to give more information about the property.

Landlords who do not apply for a selective property licence covering flats and houses they let in Croydon are breaching section 95 of the Housing Act 2004.

The council introduced its selective licensing scheme in 2015 to raise the standard of housing for tenants and improve the local environment, and over 30,000 properties in the borough are now licensed.

The council resolves most enforcement cases without needing to take legal action because landlords follow improvement notices that bring faster results. Last year the council led two successful prosecutions against landlords who respectively let out properties that were mouldy and a fire risk.

“We introduced the landlord licensing scheme to ensure all those who rent in the borough live in a decent home. The vast majority of Croydon landlords are responsible and get the proper licence, but this case shows we will continue to take enforcement action where needed to ensure all homes are licensed.

“I hope this £6,000 fine will make any landlord considering dodging their legal duty to think again.”

Councillor Alison Butler, deputy leader and cabinet member for homes, regeneration and planning

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2021-08-20T15:49:16+01:00 February 14th, 2018|Recent news|