A landlady was left with a total bill of £4,700 after a tenant was left to live in damp and mouldy conditions that were affecting their health.
North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) prosecuted Diane Clementson for failing to make the necessary improvements to a damp property she rents out in Cromer in north Norfolk.
Clementson, of Tattenhoe Lane, Bletchley, Buckinghamshire, was found guilty in her absence at Norwich magistrates' court on Thursday, April 5 for breaching an improvement notice which was originally served in March 2017.
It had been issued following an investigation of the property under the Housing Act 2004 in which mould and damp growth were found to be a category 2 hazard.
Clementson, who failed to attend court for the hearing and failed to notify the court of her lack of attendance, was fined £3000, and ordered to pay the full investigative and prosecution costs totalling £1530. She was also ordered to pay £170 victim surcharge.
Hilary Cox, NNDC portfolio holder for environment, said: 'Given the time frame which had elapsed since the first complaint, the ongoing failure to comply with both informal and formal interventions and the worsening conditions at the property for the tenant, we feel Mrs Clementson was given more than ample time to make the required improvements to the dwelling that were causing a detrimental effect to her tenant's health.'
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