A student housing company has been fined £500 and ordered to pay over £2,500 in costs after a leaking shower damaged the house next door.
Housing staff from Salford City Council were called to two properties in Weaste Lane after the private home owner complained about damp spreading from the rented house next door.
Landlords Smiles Student Ltd claimed they sent workmen to repair the shower but council officers found no evidence of any work being carried out.
Council contractors who carried out emergency work found pipes behind the shower had not been connected properly and water pooling beneath the shower had caused the floor to disintegrate.
Shazad Ali Khan, 34, manager for Smiles Student Ltd of 37-37 Wilson Pattern Street, Warrington admitted failure to comply with an abatement notice under S80 of the Environmental Protection Act1990, which resulted in the council carrying out the works in default.
He was fined £500 and ordered to pay £2560.24 in costs with a £120 victim surcharge at Salford and Manchester magistrates court on Monday January 11.
The court heard that Salford City Council officers visited both properties in November 2014. Damp from the leaking shower had spread to a bedroom below in the rented house and across the ceiling and wall of the living room of the owner occupied house next door.
Smiles Student Ltd was served with an abatement notice giving them 28 days to carry out the work.
But when council officers visited again on January 7, 2015 there was no evidence that any work had been carried out and the damp had spread further. The wallpaper in the house next door was saturated and was peeling from the walls.
Council contractors were called in. They removed tiles from the shower wall and took up the floor. They found the waste pipe from the shower was not properly connected so water was pooling beneath it. The floor, which was MDF and not suitable for use in a shower room, had disintegrated. The repairs cost over £1,700.
When interviewed by council officers Mr Khan said he sent someone to investigate when the home owner first complained but they could not find any evidence of a leak causing the damp. He claimed both parties agreed to investigate further in case it was a leaking radiator. Mr Khan said a builder had done some grouting around the tiles in the student shower but he could not provide the exact date or details of the work carried out to council officers.
Mr Khan said he sent a second tradesman in who charged the company for grouting and putting silicone around the shower. Mr Khan believed the work had been done and the notice complied with.
He apologised for the damage and said the last thing he wanted was to be in court or for his company to be causing damage to other properties. The company has begun repaying the council for the work the council had to carry out.
Speaking after the court case Councillor Gena Merrett, assistant mayor for housing and environment, said: “Mr Khan had a duty towards his tenants and neighbours to make sure the repairs were carried out thoroughly and properly. I hope this sends a message to all landlords to make sure any repairs are dealt with fully otherwise the council will not hesitate to take action.”
