A private landlord has been fined for failing to address damp and disrepair at a rental property on Barrow Island, despite repeated intervention by Westmorland and Furness Council.

The landlord of a one-bedroom home was fined £10,250 for breaching housing standards requiring properties to be kept safe and fit for occupation.

The council was first alerted to damp and other defects at the property in May 2025. An inspection led to the service of a Hazard Awareness Notice, requiring the landlord to arrange a damp survey, identify the cause of the problem and carry out remedial works, alongside other repairs.

After no action was taken, the council issued a formal Improvement Notice, legally requiring the work to be completed by 31 July 2025.

Despite the formal notice, the landlord took no meaningful action within the agreed compliance period. Further visits by officers confirmed that the Improvement Notice had not been complied with and the issues remained unresolved.

Following this ongoing neglect, the Housing Standards Team compiled a full case file, including detailed records of inspections, correspondence, and evidence of repeated opportunities offered to the landlord to engage and resolve the issues.

Based on the evidence gathered, the council determined that formal enforcement action was appropriate and the fine issued to the Warrington-based landlord.

The landlord has now started to address the outstanding works at the property. Close monitoring will continue to ensure the agreed actions are completed in a timely manner, according to the council.

Cllr Judith Derbyshire, Westmorland and Furness Council cabinet member for housing and community safety, said: “Westmorland and Furness Council is committed to protecting housing tenants and ensuring high standards across the area.

“The council’s Housing Standards Team always seeks to work informally and collaboratively with landlords to ensure a positive outcome is achieved. However, the service is clear that where there is a lack of meaningful, honest, and timely engagement, the Council will not hesitate to use its enforcement powers and take firm action to ensure that rented homes are safe, healthy, and fit for occupation.

“We would like to thank the team for their thorough and diligent response in this case, which has resulted in the penalising of a landlord who has failed to fulfil their responsibilities.”