Hartlepool landlord fined after family with baby were left without water or proper heating

Anthony Wardrop, 79, of The Parade, Hartlepool, on behalf of Sedgedene Estates, was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £580 in costs and charges for failing to carry out work to make the property in Westmoreland Street safe.

Wardrop denied a charge of failing to comply with an improvement notice served in January 2022 but was found guilty when he appeared at Peterlee Magistrates’ Court.

The court heard the owner had failed to ensure a constant water supply was provided to the rented property.

This had left the family, including the baby and two older children, without water or adequate heating over the Christmas and New Year bank holiday periods in 2021.

The Improvement Notice, issued under the Housing Act 2004 by council private sector housing officers, also ordered the landlord to carry out basic duties in the property such as providing gas and electricity safety certificates, ensuring the property had adequate heating and was free from damp and mould.

Magistrates heard that the owner had delayed carrying out works inside the property for several months and only started the work at the property in Westmoreland Street, Darlington, after investigations began.

Councillor Mike Renton, cabinet member for stronger communities at Darlington Borough Council, said: “This prosecution sends out a very clear message that we will take strong action against any landlord who doesn’t ensure the safety of their tenants.”