A landlord in Bristol has been fined £6,000 after council officers uncovered 19 breaches of housing regulations during an inspection of a privately rented flat, Bristol Live has reported.
The property, located within one of the city’s 12 central wards covered by Bristol City Council’s private rented property licensing scheme, was found to have failed fire safety standards and had not been properly maintained.
Issues identified included damp, rotten floorboards, ill-fitting doors and windows and missing or broken fixtures, including an oven handle and bathroom door handle. Officers also noted the absence of a wash basin in the toilet and a fire alarm certificate.
The landlord was served with a civil penalty notice following a formal investigation but has since made the necessary improvements.
The enforcement was part of a wider licensing scheme, which ran from July 2019 to July 2024, requiring all Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) in the designated area to be licensed. During that time, nearly 3,000 homes were improved, more than 3,800 licences issued, and 3,471 inspections carried out.
Councillor Barry Parsons, chair of the homes and housing delivery committee, told Bristol Live: “Everyone deserves a safe and secure roof over their head… this scheme shows that we are not afraid to take action when it is necessary.”
He added that all revenue from licensing is reinvested into improving standards in the private rented sector.
