A landlord in one of the most scenic parts of Devon had been served with a £18,000 civil penalty because he failed to do work demanded by an Improvement Notice.

The landlord has not been named by South Hams council, but it says the landlord has now organised for the repairs to be carried out – which he has paid for, in addition to the Improvement Notice penalty.

“This is fantastic news for the tenant. It is also a great result for the council.  A prosecution would have taken a considerable amount of time and money.  We have achieved a great outcome for the tenant in a relatively short period of time” says a council spokesman.

“It is important for landlords to know that we have these powers and where necessary we will use them to protect our most vulnerable residents.”

The council decided to issue civil penalties under section 249a of The Housing Act 2004 as an alternative to a prosecution. This policy – Section 126 and schedule 9 of the Housing and Planning Act 2016 – came into force on April 6 2017.

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