Conditions at a house in Camber were so bad a local landlord has been fined over £20,000. Damp, mould, collapsing ceilings, and dangerous electrics were just some of the issues found at the property on Pelwood Road. The house also had no heating.
At a sentencing hearing on Thursday June 6, magistrates commented this was a matter of high harm and high culpability, fining Eric Moon from Jury’s Gap £20,000 with a surcharge of £2,000 and costs of £1,649.72. In May, the 81-year-old was found guilty at Hastings Magistrates Court on three counts of non-compliance with Improvement Notices served under the Housing Act 2004.
In December 2022 the tenants of a property in Pelwood Road, Camber owned by Mr Moon complained to Rother District Council Environmental Health about the poor condition of the property. A subsequent inspection by council officers found many examples of disrepair and reported safety concerns about the property’s stairs and steps. The lack of heating also concerned inspectors who measured temperatures only reaching a maximum of 13 degrees inside the house.
In total three severe Category 1 hazards, for excess cold, electrical safety, and falls on stairs and steps, and seven Category 2 hazards, for damp and mould, entry by intruders, domestic hygiene/pests, food safety, falls on the level, fire, and structural collapse, were identified.
Improvement Notices were served in January 2023 requiring works to be undertaken to repair the property, but these were not complied with and no improvement to the property was made.
Richard Parker-Harding, Head of Environmental Health at Rother District Council, said: “The current housing crisis is significantly impacting the private rented sector, but it is important that habitable living conditions are maintained. This was an exceptional case where there was significant risk to the health of the tenants, and of the chance of serious injury, given the lack of maintenance at the property. We encourage landlords to listen to tenants’ concerns and take action to reduce hazards at the properties that they rent.”
Image Credits: Rother District Council .