A landlord who rented out a property which became a "neglected fire hazard" has been fined more than £6,000.
Allison Aris, from Thornton Heath, was prosecuted at Croydon Magistrates' Court, on Tuesday (April 11), after an inspection found that the shared property she was letting out had inadequate fire safety measures, gardens dumped with rubbish and a filthy kitchen.
Environmental health officers found four male tenants sharing a house in Ramsey Road where several smoke detectors had been removed and fire doors tampered with.
Other discoveries in the property included mouse droppings on the kitchen floor, a broken cooker and abandoned furniture in the back and front gardens.
Aris, of Melfort Road, pleaded guilty to four offences under the 2006 regulations attached to the 2004 Housing Act. The property failed on points including keeping the property safe and clean, preventing neglect and providing adequate rubbish disposal.
The 50-year-old also admitted one further offence of failing to respond to a council request for information
She was fined £6,665 and ordered to pay the council’s full costs of £1,694 with a victim surcharge of £170, totalling £8,529.
Work has been now carried out in the property to improve the standard of the accommodation, which will be sub-let to an agency to manage the house on her behalf.
Two of the men have left the property since the inspection.
Councillor Alison Butler, deputy leader and cabinet member for homes, regeneration and planning said: “Most landlords in Croydon make sure the homes they let out are safe, legal and in good condition, but this property was a potentially lethal fire hazard.
"This case underlines why we introduced our landlord licensing scheme in the first place, and we will continue to proactively inspect rented properties in Croydon and our priority remains to make sure private tenants live in good-quality housing.”
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