Three adults were sleeping on the floor of a house surrounded by waste, including dead rats and mice. (Image: Durham County Council)
A County Durham landlord has been fined £42,500 after tenants were found living in unsafe conditions, including sleeping on the floor surrounded by dead rats, mice, human waste and urine.Landlord Zone reports that Carter Property Services, owned by 59-year-old Glenn Carter, has been prosecuted by Durham County Council after officers discovered repeated breaches of conditions associated with a selective landlord licence. The company manages about 300 rental properties.Peterlee District Court heard the company breached 13 license conditions across eight rental homes in Shotton, South Heaton, Blackhall Colliery, Peterlee and Seaham.
The council said the failures put the health and safety of tenants at risk.
Alarm on property
One of the most serious cases emerged after paramedics attended a property in Peterlee. According to the court, three adults were sleeping on the floor of a house surrounded by waste, including dead rats and mice. Paramedics described the property as covered in feces and urine, with a strong ammonia smell.The investigation concluded that the property had not been inspected for two years.
Its gas safety certificate had also expired by nearly four years. Durham County Council told the court the company failed to meet several conditions required under its selective licensing regime.One of the licensing conditions requires landlords to inspect rental properties every six months. However, one tenant at a property in Shotton told council officials that no inspection had been carried out in the four years they had lived there.The council also found that Carter Property Services failed to provide valid gas safety certificates for four properties. Under licensing rules, landlords must update these certificates to prove that gas appliances are safe.The court heard that these failures were not limited to one property, but were found in eight homes included in the case.
A fine of £42,500
Peterlee Magistrates Court found Carter Property Services guilty of 13 counts of breaching its selective licence.The company was fined £5,000 for each of the eight properties involved, bringing the total fine to £40,000. She was also ordered to pay £500 in court costs and a £2,000 victim surcharge, bringing the total penalty to £42,500.Following the ruling, Durham County Council said landlords had a responsibility to provide safe living conditions for tenants.Tony Hanson, the council’s director of regeneration, economics and growth, said: “This is a case where the landlord has failed in its duty to tenants by allowing them to live in poor and unsafe conditions.”He added: “These properties are people’s homes, and everyone should have access to safe, high-quality housing.”Hanson said the case showed the council would continue to use its powers under the selective licensing regime against property owners who failed to maintain their properties.He said: “This case demonstrates how we will use our powers within the selective licensing regime to take effective action against landlords who do not maintain their properties and put their tenants at risk.”Durham County Council is currently consulting on proposals for a new selective licensing scheme before the current system expires in March 2027.Selective licensing allows councils to require landlords in designated areas to obtain a license and follow conditions aimed at improving housing standards. This includes regular property inspections, valid gas safety certificates, and proper management of rental homes.
Horror houses for rent in Britain
The case of County Durham is another example of poor housing conditions for landlords in England.In 2023, the housing ombudsman found the Longhurst Group guilty of “severe mismanagement” after a disabled tenant in Lincolnshire was left living with poisoned rats rotting in the attic above his house, The Guardian reported.The tenant reported that worms later fell through the kitchen ceiling while moisture, mold and other repair issues remained unresolved for months.The UK government estimates that up to 6% of social housing properties in England, or about 240,000 units, have significant or serious problems with damp and mould.
