A LANDLORD from St Helens has been hit with a £20,000 fine after failing to carry out required improvements to a property she was renting to a family in Collins Green.

The improvements, which fall under the Housing Act 2004, required repairs to the property to rectify a number of health and safety issues, including dangerous electrics and damp.

The same landlord in St Helens also failed to comply with a smoke alarm notice. As a result Warrington Council attended the property to fit the alarms and has issued the landlord with a fixed penalty fine of £1,000.

The council’s private sector housing enforcement team is carrying out a range of work to tackle disrepair and other health and safety issues within rental properties.

A spokesman said the team is working closely with landlords to resolve all issues that are reported. The majority want to work with the council, but those landlords that do not co-operate could face severe consequences, including fines.

Cllr Maureen McLaughlin, Warrington Council’s executive board member for public health, said: “We are sending out a clear message to bad landlords that failing to ensure your properties are safe and healthy for your tenants will not be tolerated.

“We want to protect all of Warrington’s tenants from poor housing conditions, and we are working closely with landlords to achieve this.

"While the vast majority of them want to work with us, we will continue to use all the powers available to us to take action against those who fail to co-operate.”