Rogue landlord forced to close down rat infested homes in Rotherham

The landlord, who rents out properties in Lindley Street, Eastwood, were told they were unfit to be lived in because of serious electrical and fire safety issues.

COURT: Recorder of Sheffield tells '˜vigilante' paedophile hunters to '˜leave it to the professionals' They were also riddled with pests as well as having signs of rats, all of which breach Rotherham Council's strict '˜selective licensing rules' in the area.

The landlord will now have his licence revoked and faces criminal charges.

CRIME: Lives put at risk by laser pen shone at motorists from motorway bridge in South Yorkshire Another two landlords have been taken to task under the Eastwood selective licensing scheme, after ignoring calls to fix boilers at two properties on Bramwell Street.

Rotherham Council had to carry out emergency repair work after the landlords left their tenants without heating and hot water.

The landlords will now be charged for the repairs.

The council recently secured a conviction against the landlord of a property on Bethel Road, after he failed to clean his garden despite repeated warnings to do so.

Waseem Ali Yunus was ordered to pay a total of £1,019.21 in fines and costs after a hearing at Sheffield Magistrates' Court. Landlord Basharat Hussain was also found guilty at Sheffield Magistrates' Court of failing to licence two properties on the road where he lives - Carlisle Street.

He was ordered to pay more than £550 in fines and costs.

One of the properties was in such a state it was prohibited from use in March 2018. In addition, council officers  closed a property on Cottenham Road, Eastwood, after discovering the house had rats. Councillor Dominic Beck, Rotherham Council's Cabinet Member for Housing, said: 'Nobody should have to live in such appalling conditions, which is why we will seek to bring to justice those that force tenants to live in such miserable squalor. 'We are working hard to banish bad landlords, which is why we have our selective licensing scheme in an area like Eastwood.

'The majority of landlords in this area work well with us and adhere to the conditions. But there still remain a minority who seek to flout the rules, which often sees them preying on the most vulnerable and deprived in our society.

'I hope these latest enforcement actions gets the message out there that we will not let this happen and will take swift action wherever we see such issues arising.' Yesterday, Rotherham Council approved a plan for new homes to be built on a former car park in Eastwood. The York Road site has been derelict for a number of years.  A full development brief will now be submitted to the market with a view to a development partner being found for the site. Developers will be asked to deliver a scheme with up to 30 homes, with an innovative approach to design and energy efficiency, resulting in job creation for local residents. Coun Beck added: 'With this approval we can now look forward to an exciting development in the Eastwood area which will not only create jobs and strengthen the skills of local people, but will also create lasting benefit in terms of new modern and efficient homes, all of which will help boost the desirability of the area.'