ROGUE landlords who unlawfully evicted their tenants by changing the locks on their flat have been ordered to pay more than £6,500 by city magistrates
Brothers Aynul Hoque, 52, of Merrimans Hill Road and Mohammad Hoque, 41, of Chestnut Walk, appeared in court last Tuesday (March 21) and pleaded not guilty to charges of unlawful eviction under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977.
The court heard the landlords had rented one of the five flats in their property on Bromyard Road, to a teenage couple aged 19 and 17 for £550 a month.
On August 31, 2016 the couple left their flat for a hospital appointment and returned to discover the lock had been changed and a note left on the door which read ‘Lock has been changed, do not force to break in – contact the landlord’.
After being contacted by the tenants, Worcester City Council’s housing department advised Aynul Hoque he had to serve a formal notice on the tenants in order to legally evict them and he needed to allow them to return to the property.
However the tenants were forced to register as homeless with Worcester City Council, who were able to provide them with temporary accommodation.
Magistrates convicted the brothers, finding they had unlawfully evicted the couple by changing the locks and failing to provide a key.
They said the tenants were clearly still resident in the property and the defendants had no reason to believe that they had ceased to occupy the flat.
The pair were each fined £1,800 and ordered to pay victim surcharges of £170 and costs of £1,290.
Speaking after the verdict, Worcester City Council Strategic Housing Manager Nina Warrington said: “The victim of this unlawful eviction has been very brave in pursuing this case and giving evidence in court.
“The case shows that landlords need to abide by the law, just like everyone else, and must always follow the proper process to evict tenants.
“When there is evidence of rogue landlords unlawfully evicting tenants Worcester City Council will not hesitate to take action, pursue them through the courts and press for the strongest fines and sentences,” she added.
