Sheffield City Council has prosecuted Uttoxeter-based landlord Gunes Ata for failing to provide information about the insurance of the building he lets out.

In court, the council’s prosecution case stated that landlords must act with professionalism and good management practice to comply with their obligations and said that Ata’s business practice fell short of the standard required in law.

In sentencing, Magistrates said that Ata had not shown due diligence and was ordered to pay £2,225 made up of £1,400 costs to the council, a fine of £750 and a £75 victim surcharge.

Any tenant living in a flat let out on a long lease must pay service charges to their landlord to cover services such as cleaning, repairs of communal areas and building insurance. 

They have the right to challenge these charges and cannot do that unless they have access to information which shows why they are being charged and for what they are being charged.

In the case of insurance, tenants have the right to know what the insurance covers so that they can check that they are properly protected and getting value for money.

The law makes it a criminal offence for landlords not to provide information about service charges and insurance when it is properly requested, and the local authority is the prosecuting authority for these kinds of offences. This prosecution was brought under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985.

Councillor Douglas Johnson, chair of housing for City council, says: “We make it our business to protect tenants from landlords who do not come up to the mark and this another example of us using the law to bring about a successful court prosecution.

“We want Sheffield to be a place where all residents and investors can be sure they will be treated fairly and we will take action where we reasonably can, when it is clear that this law is being ignored or disregarded.”