A Leeds landlord has been fined for renting out this mouldy, unsafe house

A woman living in this dangerously maintained house in Chapeltown has been awarded compensation after her landlord was taken to court.
By Grace Newton
Published 2nd May 2019, 11:00 BST
Updated 2nd May 2019, 11:31 BST
Damp on a wallDamp on a wall
Damp on a wall

Andrew Watson, of Harehills Avenue in Chapeltown, was fined £6,500 and ordered to pay victim compensation of £1,000 after he repeatedly ignored legal notices served by Leeds City Council regarding the condition of a house he was renting out on Hill Top Mount, also in Chapeltown.

A council officer even likened the property's state to that of slums in the 1950s and 60s.

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Mould in the kitchenMould in the kitchen
Mould in the kitchen

The terraced house was found to be full of hazards including an inadequate fire alarm and faulty electrics, and was in a general state of disrepair. Photos taken inside the property show extensive mould and damp, a hole in a ceiling and rubbish in the yard.

The council's housing team, who brought the prosecution against Watson, said that it was unusual for a rogue landlord's offences to warrant them being required to compensate a tenant as well as paying a fine.

"The prosecutions team work tirelessly to bring justice to the victims of sub-standard landlords and in this case the court were so particularly moved by the impact of the offender's criminal behaviour that they saw fit to award her with compensation, which is rarely seen."