A Kings Langley landlord has been hit with a larger fine after appealing her previous prosecution for illegal renting.

Deborah King, of Rucklers Lane, has been fined £6,000, replacing the original £4,000 she was told to pay, after illegally renting an uninhabitable outbuilding.

She had the original hearing in March of this year but requested to reopen the case.

The first two hearings were adjourned at the landlord's request, but the third one went ahead late last month.

She was ordered to pay a fine of £6,000, costs of £1,784 and a victim surcharge of £184.

The total cost came to £7,968, this is replacing the fine which she had to pay due to breaking the prohibition hearing last year.

She was originally told to pay £4,000 after failing to adhere to a prohibition order as she failed to attend court in March.

King was renting an outbuilding which had no fixed heating, inadequate insulation, a lack of ventilation and several other hazards which left it unsuitable.

She did not have planning permission for the building and it did not meet building regulation standards for residential use.

Dacorum Borough Council was first made aware of this when a complaint was made about an illegal eviction in 2021. 

In May 2022, a prohibition order barred residential use of the outbuilding from the next month, June 8, 2022.

After the order came into effect, on July 15, a site visit under warrant revealed it was still occupied.

Councillor Simy Dhyani, Portfolio Holder for Housing and Property Services, said: “This prosecution sends a message to all those landlords who keep ignoring the regulations and trying to get away with renting out poorly managed properties. These enforcement actions will carry on helping our private tenants and install positive behavioural change in landlords."

Potential hazards in a privately rented property listed on the Dacorum Borough Council website include damp and mould, excess cold and heat, carbon monoxide and fuel combustion, lack of security against intruders, poor lighting, risk of falling, electrical hazards, and fire risks.