A Sheffield landlord has been fined £600 for harassing his tenant and changing the locks.
The tenant was renting premises at 99 Popple Street, Sheffield from landlord Mr Saleem Ali. A dispute arose between Mr Ali and the tenant concerning rent allegedly owed and the responsibility for repairs and renovations to the property.
The tenant first complained of harassment at the beginning of June 2010 after receiving a phone call from Mr Ali’s brother demanding rent. During the call he threatened to slit her throat and called her a fat bastard.
She was so frightened she did not return home and went to stay with a friend. She continued to receive a number of abusive and nasty telephone calls from landlord during the three-day period over which she stayed with her friend.
Officers from the Sheffield City Council became involved in mid July 2010 following further visits and telephone calls from landlord to tenant. The tenant reported that the Mr Ali would often turn up at the house, uninvited, late at night. She found him to be rude and intimidating. A Tenancy Relations Officer sent a letter to Mr Ali warning him about his conduct and advising him of lawful eviction procedures.
In late July both Mr Ali and his brother Nadeem Ali visited the tenant’s home whilst her mother was present. They told her to pack her bags if she didn’t have the money which they believed was owed. The following day the tenant received numerous text messages of a similar nature.
Following the visit the Council placed her in temporary accommodation overnight for her own safety.
She returned to the property the following day to find that the locks had been changed. In a phone call Mr Ali informed her that the locks had been changed and her property seized. If she wanted any of her property back she would first have to pay any rent owed.
A Tenancy Relations Officer spoke to Mr Ali and advised him to re-admit the tenant. This request was refused.
Sheffield City Council prosecuted Mr Ali. He pleaded guilty to an offence under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977. Under the Act a landlord is guilty of an offence if he does acts likely to interfere with the peace and comfort of the tenant and does so knowing, or having reasonable cause to believe, that his conduct is likely to cause the tenant to leave.
He was fined £600, ordered to pay £390 in costs and a £15 victim surcharge.
In court, the prosecution said:
“very frequent text messages and late night visits to the tenant’s home, demanding money and threatening eviction, amount to a significant interference with the tenant’s peace and comfort. Her friends and family have witnessed the distress these actions caused her. The ultimate act of harassment was to change the locks on the property, thereby denying her access to her belongings. Mr Ali’s refusal thereafter to re-admit the tenant aggravates the offence”.
