A group of students in Leeds have been awarded thousands of pounds in compensation after their landlord failed to reconnect their gas supply.
The students had no heating, hot water and no hob to cook for 11 days after a property firm failed to carry out repairs.
When the landlord failed to address the fault, the gas was cut off by the supplier for safety reasons.
The tenants were subsequently threatened with eviction.
The nine students have been awarded a total of £4,500 in compensation.
After enforcement action was taken by the council, Planas Properties Ltd pleaded guilty at a hearing at Leeds Magistrates Court to the offence of unreasonably causing the gas supply to the HMO to be interrupted, contrary to HMO Management Regulations.
“We have a range of enforcement tools at our disposal, and I want to send out the clear message that we will seek to use them, if as in this case, legislation has been disregarded by a landlord.”
