Dacorum landlord fined for renting out property with no heating and numerous hazards

A landlord who rented out a property in Dacorum has been fined after she was found guilty of overseeing an uninhabitable home.

Deborah King, of Rucklers Lane, Kings Langley was fined £4,000 for failing to comply with a Prohibition Order under the Housing Act 2004.

The unit had no fixed heating and inadequate insulation, a lack of ventilation and a number of other hazards meaning it was unsuitable for habitation.

Dacorum Council announced it first started monitoring the property in 2021 after receiving a complaint regarding an alleged illegal eviction.

The local authority discovered the building had been converted into a self-contained unit and was being rented out.

No planning permission had been obtained and the unit did not meet the council’s regulation standards.

A Prohibition Order was made on the property on 10 May 2022 prohibiting the use of the outbuilding for residential use.

A site visit carried out under warrant on 15 July 2022 found that the unit was still occupied. Dacorum Council concluded that the landlord would not comply with the order she was given earlier that year.

At the hearing at St Albans Magistrates' Court on Wednesday (1 March) the landlord failed to attend and was found guilty in her absence, and ordered to pay a fine of £4,000, costs of £1,784 and a victim surcharge of £190.

Councillor Margaret Griffiths said: “The Council is committed to raising the standards of the private sector in line with our commitments to ensure all residents of the borough have a safe home to reside in. This successful prosecution demonstrates the impact if a landlord is found not to be complying with regulatory requirements. Should a resident or a landlord have any concerns about housing standards or their obligations, I would encourage them to contact the Private Sector Housing Team.”

More information on the council’s private sector housing team can be found on the local authority’s website here.