A READING landlord has been prosecuted for breaching a Reading Borough Council Prohibition Order.
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The order – which dates back to December 2011 – prevented Mahinder Pal Anand from the use of a basement flat at 205 Oxford Road due to a lack of natural light at the property. The only light came from a pane of glass in the front door and a small adjacent window, with the outlook being concrete steps and a brick wall.
Having initially complied with the order, Mr Anand then broke it 9 months later when he rented the flat out for a period of four months.
The landlord, 79, of Lytham End, Tilehurst, was successfully prosecuted at Reading Magistrates Court on Thursday June 27th for failure to comply with the Order, served under the Housing Act 2004. Mr. Anand was fined £1,200, ordered to pay a victim surcharge £120 and ordered to pay legal costs of £603.
Richard Davies, Lead Member for Housing at Reading Borough Council, said:
“Reading is working hard to help drive up standards in the private rented sector for the very many tenants in the town. More than one in four households in Reading are private rented sector households, and whilst the vast majority of landlords adhere to the law there are unfortunately some which the Council has no option but to take action against.
“Prosecutions such as these serve as a good reminder to all landlords of their responsibilities to their tenants. I understand that in the case of this particular property, further action is now being taken by the Council’s planning enforcement team to return the flat back into commercial use, and that is also good news.”
Further Information
Reading Borough Council is currently carrying out a detailed consultation called on the town’s private Rented Sector called Lets Talk Housing. It is aimed at gathering views of residents, landlords and their agents and other stakeholders, and then using that information to help drive up standards in the sector.
Reading is unique within Berkshire. Latest figures showing more than one in four households in Reading are made up of private rented accommodation and is estimated to be home to 75% of Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMO’s) in Berkshire. Private rented accommodation can provide flexible and accessible housing solutions for many residents, but there is growing evidence that poor management in certain parts of the sector is impacting on the quality of neighbourhoods.
