A Newtoft landlord let a property with ‘extremely dangerous electrics’, no heating system and a leaking roof, a court heard.

Conservative-led West Lindsey District Council has successfully prosecuted Mr. Joe Burgess, of Newark Road, Lincoln, for failing to comply with housing regulations.

The court heard the case in the absence of Mr. Burgess at Lincoln Magistrates Court on Wednesday 26th October. Mr. Burgess made a property he owns in Newtoft available to a tenant, despite it being in a very poor state of repair. The property had extremely dangerous electrics, no heating system, excessive damp, a leaking roof and no fire detection.

West Lindsey District Council served notices on the landlord but after he failed to comply, the council incurred considerable costs making the property safe for occupation. Mr. Burgess was found guilty and fined £440, and ordered to pay £400 legal costs, £376 investigation costs and a victim surcharge of £44.

Cllr. Mrs. Sheila Bibb, Conservative Chairman of the council’s Prosperous Communities Committee said:

“This is the second successful prosecution we have undertaken this year and demonstrates the council’s commitment to tackling criminal and rogue landlords.

"We hope this case sends a clear message to landlords that we will use all of the powers available to us if they do not comply with our requests when we serve formal notices. Nobody should have to live in unsafe accommodation in the district.

“In this day and age there is no excuse for landlords who choose to ignore the law and we intend to continue to pursue them wherever their properties may be in our district. I would like to thank officers for their excellent work on this case.”

If any tenants have issues of disrepair within their property that are not being addressed by their landlord they can report these to the council using the online forms at www.west-lindsey.gov.uk.