Andrew Bevan, who owns the terrace house in Salford but lives in Essex has been ordered to pay more than £1,700.
He was convicted of failing to comply with an improvement notice for the house in Kara Street, Seedley, which he let.
Housing inspectors from Salford council first visited the property in October 2007, after being alerted by the tenant.
They found cracked floor tiles in the kitchen, damp, a lack of insulation and gaps in the windows, no means of ventilation in the bathroom and a smoke alarm that did not work. Bevan was given two months to make improvements but failed to do so.
Housing spokesman Coun Peter Connor said: "People who rent a property have the right to expect certain basic standards. Those landlords who neglect their duty and then fail to put improvements in place have to face the consequences.
"Our officers are committed to doing everything in their power to support tenants and professional landlords. We want people to choose Salford as a place to live and work and we can only do that by working together to drive up standards."
Since June 2007 it has been compulsory for all landlords who operate in Seedley and Langworthy to sign up to the selective licensing scheme. The area became the first in the country to introduce the initiative in a bid to ensure all properties are well-managed to help raise standards and reduce anti-social behaviour.
Licences are only granted if landlords provide certain information about their management arrangements and pass a 'fit and proper' person test.
Bevan was fined £525 and ordered to pay costs to the council of £1,199 when his case was heard by Salford magistrates.
Private tenants concerned about standards at a property they rent can call 0161 793 3150.
Licences under selective licensing are issued for a landlord for a specific property for five years.
For more information visit www.salford.gov.uk/landlordlicensing Tweet
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We dont hear enough of these cases of sub standard properties and people living in squalor but there are lots of it about. shops with terrible living quarters above etc.Make it a prison sentence for not registering a property.ZERO TOLLERANCE and enforce the law.
Ace Shakespeare,
Having read your comments on a number of stories over the last few days, I was wondering if your solution to everything involves sending people to prison/deportation/hanging?
The council should make a confiscating order against the landlord, bring the property up to standard, charge rent and make some money and keep the tenant happy.
charliepapalima, Flixton
Well weve had forty years of liberalisation of britain and it dosnt seem to be working so why not have a harder law and order reform.Similar as we used to have .Prisons that are a deterent not a place to enjoy a few months away plaing games and having four squares a day,and hang killers ,and start to control people with the birch. and then maybe we wouldnt have people like these landlords taking advantage of the tennants.???
Thats funny the court gets paid,the council gets paid. but what about the poor tennet i dont hear any one paying them.did anybody inprove their living conditions.
Sending people to prison/deportation/hanging?-Worked in the 1950s no. Low level of crime because you committed it and carried on you were away Borstal, Childrens home, Prison. It meant people could go about their everyday working lives without been scared they were going to get mugged on the way home from work.
Tough laws for tough things and not just laws that pick on Motorists, Smokers and pub goers.
I agree with this up to a point.
Tenants also have a responsibility. Maybe this tenant was a little old lady with no fit relatives in which case there is an excuse. However, if a fit person whats wrong with rolling your sleeves up and doing a bit of work yourself.
I am a tenant and keep the landlords property in good nick. If the roof blew off phone the landlord but basic maintenance. Come on.
i rent a property and i agree basic maintenance should be the tenants job, but cracked floor tiles and gaps in windows, no thats the landlords job and ventilation what were they supposed to do knock a hole in the wall and then be prosecuted for damage to the property
I'm hearing more and more of these rogue landlords, there's a few here in Leigh that have been in the papers recently. This tenant is in a similar situation to us, we went to the council about the state of repair and the Landlord kept on saying they'll do the work and fobbing the council off. Then this morning we got a repossession letter through the post. There should be stricter regs with Landlords and maybe some kind of vetting process and financial background check (If there isn't one already).
I hope the tenant's living conditions are better now!
Chris, rolling your sleeves up and doing a bit of work yourself? What, on a property that BELONGS to someone else??
I live in a rented house, and darent do any work to it, cause the management company are so funny about everything! Im worried about being charged for it when i move out. ultimately, the landlord will eventually be the one who makes a profit on the property when he sells, the upkeep is down to them!