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Derby City Council Fines Letting Agent £21,000 for Endangering Vulnerable Tenants

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Derby City Council has successfully prosecuted Steadwall Properties Limited for failing to meet health and safety standards, resulting in the company being fined £21,000. The property on Osmaston Road, above a pharmacy, was deemed unsafe by the Council's Environmental Health team due to significant safety hazards, including a compromised flat roof and risks of structural collapse. The property was rented out despite a Prohibition Order being in place, putting new tenants at risk of considerable harm.

Key Takeaways:

  • Steadwall Properties Limited was fined £21,000 for knowingly permitting occupation of a prohibited property contrary to section 32 of The Housing Act 2004.
  • The property on Osmaston Road was deemed unsafe by the Council's Environmental Health team due to significant safety hazards, including a compromised flat roof and risks of structural collapse.
  • The property had been made the subject of a Prohibition Order in August 2023, but Steadwall Properties Limited rented it out to new tenants despite this, endangering vulnerable tenants.
  • Tenants living in the property at the time were rehoused by Derby Homes.
  • The Council's Housing Standards team worked tirelessly to identify and prosecute the offending letting agent.
  • Councillor Shiraz Khan stated that Derby City Council is committed to ensuring everyone in Derby has a safe place to call home.

Statistics:

  • £14,000 reduced fine due to early guilty plea.
  • £1,750 costs ordered to be paid by Steadwall Properties Limited.
  • £21,000 total fine imposed on Steadwall Properties Limited.
  • 2 flats in the property on Osmaston Road had been converted without certification.
  • 8 months of rent payments received by Steadwall Properties Limited from new tenants after the Prohibition Order was issued.
  • July 7, 2023, the date of the court hearing at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates' Court.

Sources:

  • Derby City Council, UK Government News Release.
  • Southern Derbyshire Magistrates' Court.

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