A rogue landlord who repeatedly rented out a substandard property in Yeadon, West Yorkshire, has been fined more than £25,000.

Jack Collins, of Woodlea Road in Yeadon, was brought to court after council officers found him renting out a property on Sefton Terrace, Beeston, LS11, that he had once again failed to maintain. 

Vulnerable tenants were left to live in appalling conditions, which included no heating, hot water or washing facilities.

This is the fourth time Collins has been fined for failing to properly manage his rental properties.

The landlord was prosecuted for offences at the same property in February last year and had to pay £8,655 including fines and costs. On that occasion, it was for failing to comply with improvement notices served by the local authority to ensure the safety of tenants.

He was also fined in January last year and May this year for poor conditions in his properties in Beeston. 

Collins received a total of £59,217 in fines over the four prosecutions.

Cllr Debra Coupar, Leeds City Council’s executive member for communities, said: “It was unacceptable to expect vulnerable people at this property in Beeston to live day to day in appalling conditions, resulting in considerable distress for the tenants, due to the behaviour of this landlord.

“Landlords have a responsibility in law, and to their tenants, to ensure that they adhere to and comply fully with the housing regulations including proper and timely management.

“In this particular case, like previous occasions, this landlord fell considerably short of the standard expected, which is why we pursued this action through the courts that resulted in the court ordering him to pay over £20k.

“The safety of our residents remains our top priority and I want to send out the clear message that we will seek to use a range of enforcement tools if, as in this case, legislation has been disregarded by a landlord and a resident is living in a property that is substandard.”