Unscrupulous landlord fined for misleading her Greenwich tenants

By Joe Coughlan, Local Democracy Reporter

A rogue landlord has been fined more than £5,000 for misleading tenants about her property in Greenwich.

The woman was prosecuted by Greenwich council after she reportedly provided tenants of her Charlton apartment with misleading licence agreements that claimed they had no protection from immediate eviction.

The authority said in a statement that the landlord, Anna Yang, continued to live in Southend despite using documents that stated she was a resident at the property she was renting out. Ms Yang was reportedly fined for her misleading actions after pleading guilty at Bexley Magistrates Court.

The landlord was fined £2,700 and told to pay Greenwich council £2,855.27 for the case. She was also asked to pay a victim surcharge of £270.

A Greenwich council spokesman said in a statement that the authority’s trading standards enforcement team worked hard to identify landlords who are exploiting tenants.

They added that the council’s aim was to ensure everyone in the borough had access to a safe and secure home that met their needs.

The spokesman said: “It’s so important that rogue landlords such as Mrs Yang are caught and prosecuted for unlawfully profiting and misleading their tenants with false information. We would urge our landlords to ensure that they are delivering good practices for all their tenants.”

The news comes after the authority added an additional licensing scheme this year for landlords operating HMOs in the borough. This includes properties with at least three residents in separate households with a shared kitchen, bathroom or toilet, with landlords who do not comply facing fines of up to £30,000.

Labour councillor Ann-Marie Cousins, cabinet member for community safety and enforcement, said in a statement: “Every resident has the right to a safe and well-maintained home. Our additional HMO licensing scheme is therefore a step forward for the borough and great news for private tenants.

““As a council we are committed to improving the lives and homes of private tenants, and our property licensing schemes are key to this. We will continue to work hard to tackle rogue landlords who put their tenants at risk by failing to licence their properties.”

Pictured top: The Woolwich Centre, where Greenwich council’s offices are based (Picture: Joe Coughlan)