A London-based landlord has been ordered to pay more than £6,000 in fines, costs and compensation for harassing his tenant by allowing the removal of fixtures, fittings and essential services from his home while he was still living there.
The case at Oxford Magistrates’ Court on 19 January heard how Saimir Selita, 34, of Green Vale, London, harassed his tenant Dariusz Kocaba who lived in a rental property in Ladenham Road, Oxford.
The court heard how the property was totally gutted by Selita's builders while Kocaba was away visiting relatives in Poland in February 2014.
Upon his return the he found that all the fixtures and fittings had been removed from his home including the kitchen, the bathroom, all the flooring and most of the internal doors.
The house was totally uninhabitable and all Kocaba's personal possessions had been taken from his locked room and dumped in a leaky garden shed. Many of his belongings were damaged beyond repair. Kocaba was forced to cancel his next two shifts where he worked at BMW in order to find himself somewhere to live at short notice.
Oxford City Council's environmental development service launched an investigation after Kocaba contacted the council's tenancy relations officer.
After pleading guilty in court, Selita was fined £1,800 and ordered to pay costs of £1,260, a victim surcharge of £120 and compensation of £3,070 Mr Kocaba, a total of £6,250.
Councillor Ed Turner, deputy leader of the council and board member for finance, asset management and public health, said: "This sort of harassment of tenants should have no place in today's society and it is good that this outrageous behaviour by the landlord has been brought to book.
"The stiff fine and compensation order should send a powerful message to any landlord that tenants' rights, and the law, must be respected."
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Comments
Perhaps this site should be called Tenant Today since all they seem to report on is landlord negativity.
Is it sponsored by Shelter?
Sometimes you have to wonder why people decide to be landlords!!!
Well said by Angela. It's always the poor tenant If a landlord has a problem tenant all he can do is serve notice wait for a long time to get a court order be financially out of pocket Tenant goes to council who will inevitably tell him to stay put till an eviction notice is served. Tenant 1 -0 Landlord
before we condemn the landlord,what was the tenant doing as in this day and age tenants are allowed to NOT BOTHER TO PAY RENT,completely trash private landlords houses,have total disregard for anyone but themselves,if this happened in a council house they would be evicted very quickly,and incidentally the council takes there rent off them first,councils don't take any chances and even send to prison people who don't tow the line with them, the private landlord has no such security,so if this was a bad tenant and there is no mention at all about the tenant?? then I can understand the sheer frustration of a landlord. Many end up losing there properties,please forgive me if im wrong and the landlord just done this for the hell of it
So where the rest of the story?? it seem there some parts missing !!! in future tell the whole story. Note to Landlord is best to serve notice.
while not condoning this sort of behaviour I just think there should be some more balanced reporting to highlight what tenants do to landlords, ie not pay, and damage or remove property, all which goes without being mentioned or prosecuted. It seems a landlord bashing culture is emerging, and should be reported with more context.