A private landlord has been ordered to pay over £12,000 for the appalling conditions at his property which he rented out in Riverside.
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Robert Hope-Ross, from Camp Hill Road, Nuneaton in Warwickshire pleaded guilty at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court last Thursday (February 14th) to 19 offences relating to his property on Neville Street in Riverside.
The three-storey Victorian terraced property was occupied by seven people and, following a complaint by one of the tenants, officers from the Shared Regulatory Service visited on July 26th, 2018 to find a catalogue of problems at the property.
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There was no fire alarm at all, the doors were not proper fire doors; no evidence was produced to show that the electrical and gas installations had been regularly inspected; the kitchen and bathroom facilities were inadequate; one of the bedrooms had no natural lighting or ventilation; the windows were damaged; as well as a number of other failings including dirty and damaged carpets which presented a trip hazard.
Cllr Lynda Thorne, Cabinet Member responsible for housing issues for the Shared Regulatory Service said:
“There were a catalogue of failures at this property and the fact that this property didn’t have any fire alarms at all, was three stories high with seven people living at the property is very alarming. If a fire had broken out at the property, the tenants wouldn’t have had any warning and the result could have been devastating.
“Fire safety is so important, and the fact that this property didn’t have any fire alarms at all, shows a blatant disregard for the legislation. This should send a clear message to those who rent out inadequate accommodation. We will act on any complaint that is made and if the property isn’t brought up to standard, we will take these matters through the courts and prosecute.”
Mr Hope-Ross was fined £12,000, ordered to pay £478 in costs with a victim surcharge of £170.
