Man and woman issued with Rent Repayment Orders

A man and woman have been ordered to repay Housing benefits, due to rent repayment orders made after a conviction for a breach of licensing.

Michelle and Anthony Ormerod had control of properties on both Nancy Lane and London Terrace, which were required to be licenced under Part 3 of the Housing Act 2004.

The defendants were found guilty of failure to hold licences for both properties, and fined with costs.

A local authority can apply for a Rent Repayment Order following conviction for failure to apply for a licence within a selective licensing area

It requires repayment of any housing benefit for the 12 months preceding the date of conviction.

For the property on Nancy Street, the defendants were ordered to repay £1,577.93, whilst for the property on London Terrace the defendant was ordered to repay £3,828.81.

Cllr Arshid Mahmood, Executive Member for Neighbourhoods, Housing and Customer Services said: “It is right that those who break the law and fail to hold the correct licensing are fined, and where appropriate made to repay housing benefits under a rent repayment order during any period when an offence has been committed.”

“It is important that we send a message to those who are thinking of flouting the law in a similar way that it will not be tolerated, and we will take similar actions whenever possible, prosecuting those who do so.”