An agent who failed who failed to repair a pigeon-infested loft has been hit with a bill of £31,026, including an order to pay £7,638 compensation to the tenants.
A couple complained to Brent Council in May last year after Adilsons Property failed to act on a complaint about pigeons roosting in the loft and a water leak in the ceiling.
An enforcement officer investigated the second-floor flat in Kilburn and issued the property manager of Adilsons Property, Aamir Sultan, with an improvement notice.
Although some repair works were carried out, these failed to deal with the pigeons whose cooing was disturbing the couple at 4am every morning.
Adilsons Property, in Wembley, ignored the council’s follow-up notices, resulting in a court hearing last November at which the defendants pleaded not guilty.
But a trial at Willesden Magistrates Court last week found Adilsons Property guilty of failing to comply with an improvement notice.
The company was fined £12,200 and ordered to pay £5,648 in costs as well as a victim surcharge of £170. Mr Sultan was also fined £6,100 and the two tenants were awarded £7,638 in compensation.
Spencer Randolph, head of private housing services at Brent, said: “Tenants in the private rented sector have a legal right to decent living conditions. We will prosecute landlords and letting agencies that fail to comply with improvement notices.”
Brent Council clarified that Adilsons managed the property but did not own it.
Comments (6)
At what point would the agent have had to give notice to their landlord client, (that they no longer work for them) to avoid this prosecution?
The agent would have had to give notice to their landlord client before the improvement notice was served. In my experience councils only issue improvement notices when they have exhausted all other avenues. I note that the agent ignored “follow up notices” from the council, they have no excuse.
“If you live in pigeon street”
Who who, who who, is responsible.
Shouldn’t have laughed, but I did. Thumbs up from me.
Perhaps Spencer Randolph should have stated that “ALL tenants have a legal right to decent living accommodation” Not just the private rented sector. Such comments show the mindset of some people differentiating between private and social housing. The agents deserve what they get if they ignore the law having been advised action would be taken. In reality they contribute to the hammering the PRS is seeing.