A private landlord has been ordered to pay a £9,000 fine after losing an appeal against a council. 

Earlier this year Reigate & Banstead douncil discovered that a landlord was renting out their flat to mostly unrelated vulnerable elderly individuals without taking appropriate safety measures in relation to fire risk. 

When the tenants complained, the landlord proceeded to evict them without obtaining a possession order.

Reigate & Banstead issued the landlord with a Civil Penalty Fine under the Housing Act 2004 in respect to their failure to comply with the Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation Regulations 2006. 

They appealed the fine to the Residential Property Tribunal.

However, an appeal hearing upheld the fine, stating that the landlord had displayed an amateur and cavalier approach to safety. 

They also held that the council’s behaviour had at all times been “appropriate and proportionate”.

A council spokesperson says: “We have a robust approach to enforcement, and as this case demonstrates, we will do everything to protect our residents and members of the public. 

“We hope that the outcome of this case will serve as a reminder to other landlords in the borough that safety is paramount and that the council will use the full breadth of its powers to combat unscrupulous and negligent practices, to ensure the safety of tenants. 

“It is to this effect that we welcome the introduction of the Renters’ Rights Act 2026 which supports this approach.

“The Renters Rights Act 2025 is bringing in new rights and responsibilities for landlords, letting agents and tenants. It is essential that landlords are compliant with the new law.”