Pendle landlord prosecuted for accommodating asylum seeker in dangerous property

 

 

The house on Beaufort Street, Nelson, was deemed unsafe for occupation in 2022 because of unsafe electrics, no heating or hot water, cracked and broken windows and many other issues. 

Mr Sharaz Manzur, from Earby, pleaded guilty to breaching a Prohibition Order and admitted he allowed an asylum seeker to live in the unfit property.

Appearing at Blackburn Magistrates Court, Mr Manzur changed his plea to guilty after giving a not guilty plea at a previous court hearing. 

He told the court he didn’t receive any rental income, but the tenant was working on the property. He said work is continuing at the property and he shortly hopes to contact Pendle Borough Council to get the order lifted. 

The Court agreed Mr Manzur blatantly ignored the order and took advantage of a vulnerable asylum seeker and accommodated him in a dangerous property. 

He was fined £2,123; but due to Mr Manzur’s guilty plea, it was reduced to £1,592. He was also ordered to pay £687.50 costs and a £637 victim surcharge, totalling £2,916.50.

Following the court case, Councillor Asjad Mahmood, Leader of Pendle Borough Council, said: “This case demonstrates our commitment to tackling criminal and rogue landlords.  There is no excuse for landlords who choose to ignore the law.

“This successful prosecution will set an example to the small minority of landlords who put their tenants at risk and take advantage of vulnerable people.”

Sarah Whitwell, Head of Housing and Environmental Health for Pendle Borough Council, said: “We had previously inspected the property, deemed it unsuitable for occupation and prohibited its use. But Mr Manzur moved someone in before completing the necessary works.

“The asylum seeker was living in the property and had a tenancy agreement with Mr Manzur, who knew he shouldn’t be letting his property out as it had a Prohibition Order on it for a number of health and safety reasons, including it not having any fixed form of heating, broken windows and unsafe electrics.”

Councillor Mohammed Iqbal, the Council’s Portfolio Holder for Housing and Environmental Health, added: “Whilst the property was still prohibited and unsafe, we became aware that there was a tenant in occupation; an asylum seeker who had moved into the property with the agreement that he would complete the works. 

“Council officers visited and found that the tenant was sleeping in a tent inside the property to keep warm and had removed the gas fire so that he could light a fire to both keep warm and cook with. The landlord Mr Manzur had permitted this and had signed a tenancy agreement.”  

The tenant is still living at the property and there is a £20 per day fine post-conviction if Mr Manzur continues to breach the order. Pendle Borough Council is doing what it can to safeguard the tenant.