A Sneinton rogue landlord has been prosecuted by Nottingham Magistrates Court for acting aggressively towards his tenant.
Landlord Sahfaqat Ali Sadiq threatened to throw his tenant’s belongings onto the street. Nottingham City Council became aware of his behavior following a complaint from a tenant who claimed to have been ‘forcibly removed’ from a house despite paying rent and not causing any damage to the property.
The council discovered that the tenant had not received any paperwork from Sadiq, of Vicarage Avenue, Derby, after paying his deposit and rent in cash. It was also reported that the landlord had let himself into the Sneinton house on a number of occasions in pursuit of money that did not belong to him.
The tenant also claimed that Sadiq had acted aggressively towards him by shouting and threatening to throw his belongings into the street. The landlord then placed kitchen items into bin bags.
Upon inspection, it was discovered that the Sneinton house did not have the correct licensing for a house in multiple occupation (HMO).
Sadiq was found guilty of aggressive practices, failing to protect a tenancy deposit and operating a House of Multiple Occupation (HMO) without a licence at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on Friday. He was fined £1,750.
Nottingham City Council stated that the three offences fell beneath the Housing Act 2004 and Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations.
Sadiq denied assaulting one of his tenants. He also stated that he had submitted an application for a HMO licence which he assumed was being processed as he had not heard of its progress.
Portfolio holder for housing and planning, Councillor Jane Urquhart, said: ‘Landlords are required to manage their property in accordance with the law. Failing to secure tenants’ deposits and acting aggressively towards them is not acceptable. This case shows that Nottingham City Council will take robust action through the courts to prosecute rogue landlords.’
Portfolio holder for community protection, Councillor Toby Neal, added: ‘This is a great result for the council, showing the importance of different teams working together and using consumer protection legislation to protect vulnerable tenants.’
Source: Residential Landlord