A letting agent has been heavily fined for failing to resolve serious disrepair in a Peterborough property.
In February 2025, officers from Peterborough City Council’s Housing Standards Team visited the property in Lincoln Road and found it be in extremely poor condition.
The home had several hazards including extensive damp and mould, damaged ceilings, poor thermal insultation, improper fire evacuation measures, dangerous electrics, and ill-fitting windows.
Due to the risk of harm to the tenants, the council served an Improvement Notice requiring works to be completed on the property to bring it back up to standard by 7 May 2025.
However, when officers re-visited the property in May they found that the works had not been completed as required by the notice. The home, which was housing young children, was inspected and found to still be in serious disrepair with a wide range of hazards.
Following a prosecution led by the team, Smart Move Property Solutions (UK) Ltd, and their director Ghulam Ali, were convicted for a failure to comply with an Improvement Notice under Section 30 of the Housing Act 2004 during a hearing at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on 29 October 2025.
No representatives from Smart Move Property Solutions (UK) Ltd attended the court proceedings. In their absence, the company was fined £3,000 by the court and also ordered to pay the council’s costs of £400 and a victim surcharge of £1200. Ali was also fined an additional £1,100, as well as being ordered to pay the council's costs of £400 and a victim surcharge of £440.
Councillor Christian Hogg, Peterborough City Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing and Regulatory Services, said: "I hope that this successful prosecution serves as a warning to the small minority of landlords who put their tenants at risk and flout the law. We will take appropriate enforcement action under the range of powers available to us if we discover landlords or companies who flagrantly disregard the law.
“If you have any concerns about the safety, suitability and/or management of a rented property in the city, please contact the council on 01733 747474 or visit the housing advice section on our website."