A Bristol landlord who confronted handed the tenant an illegal eviction notice after finding him using the bathroom in the house, has been jailed for eight weeks.

The tenant asked for advance notice before the landlord visited, apparently prompting him to serve the eviction notice on her.

The tenant was forced to stay in the property, due to the lack of available affordable rented properties, while she looked for a home she could afford and that would allow her dog.

During this time the landlord – Kevin De Carteret – threatened to remove the fridge, cancelled the cleaner who cleaned the communal areas and changed the house rules so pets were no longer allowed.

Bristol council formally took on the investigation as they hold prosecution powers to investigate under Protection from Eviction Act 1977.

A spokesperson for the council says: “This kind of behaviour is deplorable, and I was glad to see a strict sentence handed out in court. Having a safe and secure roof over our heads is key to ensuring we all have the best possible opportunity to live a happy and healthy life and that is why we continue to do all we can to protect people in the private rented sector.

“We want to make sure that people renting properties across the city can feel confident that their home will be safe and secure, with clear standards for what this looks like and routes to raise concerns where property conditions and their management are falling short.

“This is why we are currently running a consultation on proposals to introduce new property licensing schemes in Bristol. We believe that licensing will help further improve the quality and management of private rented properties across the city.”