A “reckless” letting agent has been handed a £14,000 fine for renting out a dangerously unsafe house to vulnerable tenants.
Steadwall Properties Ltd, of Normanton Road in Derby, admitted failing to meet health and safety standards after the property on Osmaston Road (pictured) was made the subject of a Prohibition Order in August 2023.
It followed an inspection by Derby City Council’s environmental health team, which uncovered significant safety hazards, including a compromised flat roof, and risks of structural collapse.
Southern Derbyshire Magistrates Court heard that the property - located above a pharmacy - had been converted into two flats, but the building work had not been certified. Tenants living there at the time were rehoused by Derby Homes.
A routine check of the properties in August 2024 and a subsequent criminal investigation found that the flats had been rented out to new tenants in contravention of the Prohibition Order, and that serious safety hazards remained, while the letting agents had been receiving rent payments for eight months.
Steadwall Properties was fined £21,000, reduced to £14,000 because of an early guilty plea, and ordered to pay £1,750 costs. Magistrates said the firm had recklessly permitted occupation and placed vulnerable tenants at risk of considerable harm.
Councillor Shiraz Khan, cabinet member for housing, strategic planning and regulatory services, adds: “While most private landlords are responsible and provide good quality housing, our dedicated team works tirelessly to identify and pursue those, whether they are landlords or letting agents, who disregard the health and safety of their tenants.
“We simply won’t tolerate substandard accommodation and will continue to use every tool at our disposal – from prosecution to civil penalty notices and rent repayment orders – to hold them accountable.”
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