A landlady from Troon has been ordered to pay almost £5,000 after being prosecuted for the safety and health of her tenant at risk because of the poor condition of her property.

Cornwall Council brought the prosecution against landlady Janet Marlene Carter of Newton Moor Farm, Troon, after she failed to comply with two improvement notices served under Section 11 and 12 of the Housing Act 2004 for a property she rented out at Lemon Place, East End, Redruth.

The case was heard at Truro Magistrates Court and although Carter did not attend, she was fined £3,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1642.72, a victim surcharge of £120 and a criminal court charge of £150 in her absence.

When Cornwall Council’s private sector housing team inspected the property earlier this year, it was found to be in a very poor condition with a collapsed bedroom ceiling as a result of water leaking through the roof which had allowed damp to penetrate and wet rot to affect skirting boards; large gaps around the frame of the entrance door and a bedroom window which did not close properly making the property excessively cold; inadequate guarding and handrails and loose treads and floorboards on the staircase exposing the tenant to the risk of injury and missing fire bricks and gaps in a solid fuel burning appliance which had the potential to allow smoke and fumes to escape into the property leaving the tenant exposed to the health risks connected to carbon monoxide.

Improvement notices were served in February and when a follow up visit was made on April 23 to determine if the works required by the notices had been satisfactorily completed, it was found that the works in relation to the hazard "carbon monoxide" had been carried out but no other required works had been completed for the hazards of "excess cold, damp and mould growth and alls on stairs."

Mark Grose, from Cornwall Council’s private sector housing team said: “In this case the property was being poorly managed and in such poor condition that it was putting the health, safety and wellbeing of the occupant at significant risk of harm.

"It was apparent that no maintenance had been completed at the property for some considerable time and the landlord did not respond within the required timescales to the enforcement notices. When landlords fail to manage and maintain their properties to an acceptable standard and place the health, safety and wellbeing of tenants at risk, the council will take appropriate enforcement action and prosecute for non-compliance.”

Cornwall Council cabinet member for housing and environment Joyce Duffin added: “Cornwall Council is committed to supporting landlords and helping them meet their legal requirements. Working in partnership with national and local landlord and letting agent associations the council has developed the Cornwall Responsible Landlords Scheme and the Private Rental Standard for Cornwall. The scheme is designed to help good and improving landlords understand and comply with what can often be perceived as complex legislation."

Landlords and property agents are encouraged to join the scheme, and can find further information on the council's website a cornwall.gov.uk/housing/private-sector-housing/responsible-landlord-scheme/. Alternatively expressions of interest can be emailed to the team at rlsc@cornwall.gov.uk or for more information call 01872 224543.