The two-bedroom flat in Butteridges Close, Dagenham was being rented out by the owner Kehinde Wilson Gbadegesin of Greenwich. The former local authority flat was commanding £1,200 per month in rent, yet when officers from Barking & Dagenham Council visited they discovered a host of problems including damp and mould throughout, only one functioning heater, and no working smoke alarms.
In addition, the kitchen cupboards were all broken, the oven plug was secured by duct tape, and there was a severe infestation of bed bugs.
The landlord had already been fined more than £11,000 earlier this year for failing to carry out improvements or register for a private rented property licence.
At a tribunal, Gbadegesin was ordered to pay back rent for the period between February 2022 and January 2023, a total of £14,400 to the tenants. In addition, he was told to pay a further £300 to cover the costs of the tenant and the hearing fee.
Councillor Syed Ghani, cabinet member for enforcement and community safety, said that no one should be left to live in “dangerous and disgusting conditions”, and welcomed the fact that “this rogue landlord will be made to pay back every penny he unscrupulously took” from his tenants.
They added: “Our private rented property licensing scheme is there to improve standards for all, and I hope this sends a strong message that we will continue to take action against the small minority who think they can flout the rules and do as they please.”
