A landlord has been ordered to pay £2,500 in fines, compensation and costs after he admitted harassing two of his tenants.

Jama Ahmed Farrah, of Brunswick Street, Sheffield, appeared at Sheffield Magistrates Court accused of causing the tenants to leave the shared house where they lived in the Broomhall area of the city (main picture). He was fined £600, told to pay compensation to the tenants totalling £600, costs of £1,060 and a surcharge of £240.

Councillor Douglas Johnson (pictured), chair of the housing committee, says it is committed to defending tenants’ rights, which is why it takes cases like this to court.

“The right to live in your home without the fear of being made to leave illegally is a basic human right and we will do all we can to make sure private tenants are protected from criminal behaviour and illegal eviction,” explains Johnson.

Prosecution

“I hope the prosecution serves as a stark warning to landlords that the safety of our tenants remains a priority. Where landlords put the welfare and safety of tenants at risk and wilfully disregard their obligations under the law, we are prepared to take action.”

Sheffield City Council’s private housing standards team, which led the investigation, looks into about 500 disrepair complaints a year while regulating HMO standards in more than 2,000 properties in the city. It has also investigated 800 reports relating to landlord and tenant issues.