Buy to let investors have been warned to take prompt action when issued with home improvement notices after a Peterborough landlord was fined and landed with a repair bill after ignoring council demands for improvements to his rental property.

Maroof Hussain, of Windmill Street, Millfield, Peterborough, was found guilty in his absence and fined £435 on each of two offences of failing to comply with notices issued by Peterborough City Council. He was also ordered to pay the city council's costs of £375 and a victim surcharge of £15.

A January 2006 inspection carried out by council housing enforcement officer Peter Bezant had found the property in disrepair. A second inspection in January 2008 found no substantial improvement and a statutory improvement notice was issued. This expired in June 2008. In July 2008 a further inspection confirmed that repair work had not been commenced.

The specified remedial work is now being carried out by the city council at Hussain’s expense.

‘We hope that this will send a clear message to all landlords operating in the city about their responsibilities to maintain their properties and the penalties if they do not comply’, said Peter Bezant.

‘The majority of landlords fulfil their property repair obligations without the city council taking legal action and the majority of cases are resolved through informal action only. However, as this case illustrates, if informal action fails to produce the desired results the city council will not hesitate to take enforcement action and prosecute for non-compliance where necessary’.

• Ilford landlord Faruk Ahmed and his company Open Door Property Management Limited have been fined £1,000 with £1,250 after Stratford Magistrates found he had contravened the Prevention from Eviction Act 1977.

Ahmed had ignored warnings from the council that he should give tenants proper notice before evicting them or to find them alternative accommodation.

Councillor Andrew Baikie claimed that although many private landlords provide a good quality service to their tenants, ‘there is a minority who believe that they are above the law and can evict tenants without taking the required steps. The council will take robust enforcement action and prosecute where possible when we become aware of landlords committing offences’.