Twickenham landlord fined £60,000 over collapsed ceiling

A rogue landlord who rented a dangerous flat to a mother and her young son has been fined more than £60,000.

The landlord was taken to court after failing to make improvements ordered by Richmond Council.

Inspections found the ceiling of the home in Twickenham, south-west London, had collapsed due to damp plaster.

The authority has applied for a rent repayment order to claim back the housing allowance paid over the past year.

It said it had received a complaint from the tenant in March 2019, and an inspection found there were several damaged items in the property.

In May of that year, the landlord was told to begin fixing the issues no later than July.

There was another visit in August, when the collapsed ceiling was discovered. It meant that the flat's only bathroom was unusable.

The landlord did not respond to any of the council's requests so was taken to court.

Councillor Jim Millard, spokesperson for housing at Richmond Council, said: "The council's private sector housing team works hard to hold landlords and letting agents to account.

"It's a key part of improving the borough's housing standards and we are pleased with the outcome of this investigation.  

"We encourage residents who might be experiencing issues to contact us. Rogue landlords should take notice that the council will not hesitate to act when it comes to substandard housing."