A landlord from Hitchin, Hertfordshire has been ordered to pay a fine of £1,344.57 by Stevenage Magistrates Court last week for leaving tenants without heating.

Jane Cleverly pleaded guilty to not taking adequate steps to provide tenants who lived at a property in Heathfield Road, Hitchin with a fixed heating system.

Her tenants who were left in the cold included a young couple who were renting their first home and a woman who was trying to recuperate after having surgery. Cleverly cited ‘financial difficulty’ as the reason for her negligence.

She was served with an Improvement Notice under section 11 of The Housing Act 2004 to require the works to be carried out. After failing to complete the works in the required timeframe, Cleverly was later prosecuted and fined by North Hertfordshire District Council (NHDC).

Stevenage Magistrates imposed a fine of £500 and ordered her to pay further costs of a £50 Victim Surcharge and £794.57 towards the council‘s legal fees.

Cllr Bernard Lovewell, NHDC’s portfolio holder for housing and environmental health said: “Landlords have a responsibility to keep their properties safe and free from health hazards and tenants have a right to live in a property that is safe and in a good state of repair.

“We hope this prosecution sends a clear message to private landlords in North Hertfordshire – that the council will use enforcement powers whenever necessary to ensure the welfare and safety of our residents.”