Maximum fine for letting agency that ignored basic information request

October 13, 2015 by Southend Borough Council

Maximum fine for letting agency that ignored basic information request

Tuesday 13th October 2015

A local letting agency has received a maximum £5,000 fine for ignoring a request for information from the council’s private sector housing (PSH) team (Southend Magistrates Court, Wednesday 7th October).

Hamlet Homes Properties Limited, of 325-327 London Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, failed to return a Requisition for Information within 14 days. The company were sent a reminder which they also failed to complete. The form was sent to ask for basic information about a property they managed after PSH received a complaint from the tenant.

PSH subsequently took a prosecution for the breaches. Hamlet Homes Properties Limited failed to attend court to provide a defence or enter a plea and the company was found guilty in its absence and fined the maximum possible for the offence which is £5,000, along with £465 in costs.

Cllr David Norman, Executive Councillor for Housing, Planning and Regulatory Services, says:

“This notice is a very standard form that can be easily completed by the recipient. It is sent whenever we receive a complaint or a service request and seeks to establish information about an address, its occupation and management, and their interests in the land to aid in PSH’s investigations.

“It is served at an early stage to ensure that the council is in dialogue with those who are legally responsible for, or have an interest in, a property subject to any PSH intervention.

“This legislation is in place to help and protect tenants, landlords and managing agents alike and I am amazed that an established company like this would ignore such a request. The maximum fine that has been imposed sends out a strong message that an important legal request like this cannot just be ignored.”