05 Aug 26
Breckland Council has recovered over £216,000 from two criminal landlords in Thetford. This comes as a result of the Private Sector Housing Team cracking down on some of the most neglected properties owned by repeat offending landlords.
A landlord, letting 11 homes in the Thetford area, was recently found to be renting out accommodation without electrical safety checks. Following an inspection from Breckland’s Private Sector Housing Team, the properties were deemed unsafe for residents, and the landlord was recently fined £64,800 and will need to make sure properties are safe for tenant use. The landlord had previously been fined £52,000 by the council for failing to comply with notices requiring them to carry out work to remedy hazards in their properties.
A further landlord in Thetford has recently been found to continuously overcrowd their properties. In addition, severe hazards such as dangerous electrics, damp and mould and fire hazards, have been found at a number of properties let by this landlord. The Private Sector Housing Team have been working closely with the landlord and tenants to ensure that these conditions are improved. The landlord has been fined upwards of £100,000 over the last year after failing to comply with improvement notices.
Cllr Sarah Suggitt, Executive Member for Housing, said: “We take very seriously our statutory duty to make sure that rented housing in Breckland is safe to live in. I am really proud of the work our Private Sector Housing Team has undertaken in targeting some of the most run-down homes, owned by repeat offending landlords. Breckland Council is dedicated to ensuring that every private tenant lives in a warm, safe and legal home. We will persist with offending landlords until full legal compliance is achieved across all properties. Our message is very clear: criminal landlords will not be tolerated.”
Recent inspections across Breckland have uncovered unsafe living conditions, including dangerous electrics, overcrowding, damp and mould issues, and incidents of illegal eviction. To make necessary repairs and to ensure properties are safe for tenants, Breckland Council will carry out the required work and recover all related costs from the landlords. Additionally, the council are imposing penalties of up to £40,000 per offence for those who continue to let hazardous homes or do not undertake the necessary work.
