Birmingham City Council prosecutes letting agent for unlawfully evicting tenant

Birmingham City Council has successfully prosecuted a private letting agent for unlawfully evicting a tenant.

Principal Homes is a letting and managing agent based in Great Barr, Birmingham.

Following a trial the company was found guilty of unlawfully evicting Natalia Szergejev from her tenancy in Gravelly Lane in Erdington.

The company was, found guilty under Section 1 of the Protection from Eviction Act 1977, was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £170, and prosecution costs totalling £3084.62, as well as compensation to Ms Szergejev of £1053.97.

Ms Szergejev has been the tenant at Gravelly Lane since June 2017 and had gone abroad in January 2019 to study with the intention of returning to her flat.

She had told Principal Homes of her plans and had agreed for a joint tenant to pay the rent in her absence. The rent due in May 2019 was not paid by the joint tenant who had left the property.

When she was told the rent has not been paid Ms Szergejev paid the rent and corresponded with Principal Homes by text and email informing them of her intention to return at short notice to the flat.

On arrival at the flat on 15 June 2019, Ms Szergejev was unable to gain access to her flat as the lock had been changed.

What did the council say about this case?

Councillor Hussain, Cabinet member for homes and neighbourhoods, said: “The fine is an excellent result given the level of penalties in other recent similar cases.

“We hope it sends a clear signal to all private landlords about their responsibilities and that they must keep within the law. We have just launched a 10 week consultation about introducing a selective licensing scheme for private landlords and would encourage people to respond to that.”

More details can be found here.

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