Rogue and aggressive letting agent landlord fined £8,000 by London Borough Council
Covid pandemic and other issues meant the case from 2017 against the since dissolved Tower Hamlets business has only just been heard now – nearly six years later.
A rogue letting agent landlord who admitted misleading tenants on their rights and threatening them to leave has been ordered to pay £8,000 – almost six years after problems arose.
Four residents complained to Tower Hamlets Council’s Environmental Health and Trading Standards Team about London Corporate Apartments in late 2017 to early 2018.
ILLEGAL EVICTION
The company had issued licenses to occupy, rather than assured short-hold tenancies, which meant the tenants were misled as to their rights to have their tenancy deposit protected, and their rights as to their status as tenants, and were at risk of illegal eviction.
There were also complaints that aggressive tactics were used to intimidate two of the complainants into leaving their properties.
Khaled Abed-Alrazek, director of London Corporate Apartments, pleaded guilty to two counts of misleading actions and one of aggressive commercial practice relating to his tenants from February 2017 to May 2018.
He was fined £2,000 for the company’s aggressive commercial practices and £1,800 for issuing licences rather than tenancy agreements.
TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE
He also had to pay compensation for the two deposits that weren’t returned, worth £1,255 and must pay a further £285 compensation to one victim in respect of the aggressive commercial practice, in what the Judge described as “a terrifying experience at the hands of bullies acting in [Abed’s] name”.
He was also ordered to pay a contribution of £3,000 towards prosecution costs. The company has since been dissolved.
During the case, District Judge Matthew Bone also commended Tower Hamlets Council (main picture) for its work to get the case to court, which was significantly impacted by the Covid pandemic and other issues.
He said: “I’ve reviewed the history. I only see now how difficult it has been to bring them.”
Councillor Kabir Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Inclusive Development and Housebuilding, says: “This was a difficult case and I would like to thank the witnesses and our council teams for their hard work and persistence.”
This is such of the tiny, miniscule examples of Bad landlord behaviour that deserve attention, – not an ‘ All-out Cold war against the Private rented Sector ‘
The majority 83% of satisfied tenants will be the victims of such a war.