A woman has been awarded compensation after her landlord was taken to court.
Andrew Watson, from Chapeltown, was fined £6,500 and ordered to pay victim compensation of £1,000 after he repeatedly ignored legal notices served by Leeds City Council regarding the condition of a house he was renting out in Chapeltown.
A council officer likened the property’s state to that of slums in the 1950s and 60s.
The house was found to be full of hazards including an inadequate fire alarm and faulty electrics and was in a general state of disrepair.
The house was further found to have extensive mould and damp, a hole in a ceiling and rubbish in the yard.
The council’s housing team, who brought the prosecution against Watson, said that it was unusual for a rogue landlord’s offences to warrant them being required to compensate a tenant as well as paying a fine.
