A County Durham landlord responsible for 300 properties has been fined over £42,000 for serious breaches of his licence.
Durham County Council took legal action against Carter Property Services in Sedgefield, owned by portfolio landlord Glyn Carter, 59, after officers received multiple reports of its Selective Licence not being followed.
The council’s Selective Licensing scheme requires landlords to comply with certain conditions to ensure private rental properties are maintained to a safe standard.
However, Peterlee Magistrates Court heard that 13 conditions of the licence had been breached across eight properties in Shotton, South Hetton, Blackhall Colliery, Peterlee and Seaham.
One condition of the Selective Licence is to carry out inspections on properties every six months.
But for one property in Shotton, its tenant told council officers that an inspection had not happened in the four years they had lived there.
Officers told the court that Carter had also failed to provide a valid gas safety certificate for four of the properties., Certificates must be submitted every year as part of the licence.
Magistrates then heard that the council was alerted to one property in Peterlee by paramedics who had attended the house.
The paramedic reported three adults living at the property, who had been sleeping on the floor surrounded by waste which included dead rats and mice.
They described the house as being caked in faeces and urine, with a strong smell of ammonia.
During further investigations, it came to light that the house had not been inspected in two years. The gas safety certificate for the property was almost four years overdue.
Carter Property Services was found guilty of 13 charges of breaching its Selective Licence.
The company was given a £5,000 penalty for each property, totalling £40,000. In addition, it was ordered to pay £500 costs and a £2,000 victim surcharge, bringing the total to £42,500.
Tony Hanson, Durham County Council’s corporate director for regeneration, economy and growth, said: “This is a case in which a landlord has failed in its duty to tenants by allowing them to live in poor, unsafe conditions. These properties are people’s homes, and everyone should have access to safe, quality housing.
“This case demonstrates how we will use our powers within the Selective Licensing scheme to take effective enforcement against landlords who are not maintaining their properties and putting their tenants at risk.”
The council is currently consulting on proposals to introduce a new Selective Licensing scheme when the current one expires in March 2027.
Tenants, landlords, residents and businesses can have their say on the proposals at www.letstalkcountydurham.co.uk
For more information about the current Selective Licensing scheme, visit www.durham.gov.uk/selectivelicensing
