A tribunal has criticised a landlord who failed to license her rental property, describing her as dismissive of tenants’ concerns and labelling her a “rogue landlord”.

Honora ‘Rita’ Moynihan, whose three-bedroom house in Roseberry Avenue, London, fell within Haringey Council's selective licensing scheme for the period between February 2023 and February 2024, was handed a £12,480 rent repayment order - 80% of the £15,600 claimed.

The family of six tenants - represented by Justice for Tenants - told the First Tier Property Tribunal that as well as the licensing breach there were problems with a rat infestation, the oven and hob were defective, there were various issues with the electricity supply, the bathroom and kitchen units were damaged and there was damp around the house. Moynihan had also failed to provide them with the prescribed information. The tenants said an improvement notice had been served in August 2023 and alleged she delayed carrying out repairs.

Applied

Moynihan said once she knew about the need for a licence she applied for a temporary one which was refused, but that the license was now in place. She had inherited the property and hadn’t rented out a property before. She added that the improvement notice had now been complied with.

However, the judge ruled that she hadn’t offered any real argument or tried to get a licence during the relevant period and that the disrepair aggravated the seriousness of the licensing offence.

“The respondent failed to comply with her responsibilities as a landlord,” he said. “She was dismissive of the applicants’ concerns and demonstrated her negative attitude towards them in her demeanour. She was unwilling to accept any responsibility for her failings. She was not contrite at all. The tribunal formed the very clear impression that she is a poor landlord in fact a ‘rogue landlord’. We can only hope that she changes her ways as a result of this judgment.”

Photo: Google Streetview

‍