A Redbridge landlord was fined £2,500 for failing to pay for a £600 licence for a rented property.

The Ilford home is in Axon Place and therefore falls under Redbridge Council’s “selective licensing scheme”, meaning the landlord should have paid a £616 fee.

The scheme applies to private landlords renting to single families and is intended to crack down on bad landlords and ensure rented properties are safe.

A Redbridge Council spokesperson confirmed the house in this case in “decent condition” but had been unlicensed for some years.

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Redbridge Council leader Cllr Jas Athwal said: “The selective licensing scheme has been in place in many parts of our borough for several years now to make sure local people have access to decent quality housing.

“I hope this sends a clear message to property agents, companies, and landlords that if they don't work with us to licence their properties properly, then they could face prosecution and a hefty fine.”

Warning letters were sent to the landlord’s last known addresses but the property remained unlicensed.

The home was inspected in November 2018 and found to be rented, meaning an offence was committed under the scheme.

The case was heard at the First-tier Tribunal in central London in October.

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