A property owner in East London has been fined after he was found guilty of not following his landlord responsibilities.
Bartholomew Akuwudike was made to pay £6,000 after being prosecuted by Newham Council for endangering tenants' lives through dormant smoke alarms and a hazardous flight of stairs, reports the Newham Recorder.
The 51-year-old from East Ham failed to update the alarm system for a number of years and also left a communal toilet in a poor state of repair.
One of the batteries found in the smoke alarm was an "Eveready Gold Seal" type, which are no longer available to buy in the shops, the newspaper states.
This court case comes at a time when landlords have been told to be wary of tenants not being able to pay rent due to rising unemployment in the UK.
With the total jobless in the UK pushing 2.5 million people, private landlords should be aware that those they have signed tenancy agreements with may struggle to meet rental payments.
Written by John Weeks
