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KEYWORD "Sentence" - 100 RESULTS
Leasehold Reform Bill wins a big thumbs-up from agents’ body

Propertymark has urged the Sunak government to press ahead with leasehold reform ahead of the Second Reading of the Leasehold and...

19 March 2024

From: Breaking News

Agent stole over £40,000 from firm which hadn’t noticed missing money

A letting agent who stole over £40,000 from her employer was caught when a bank queried the use of a company...

22 February 2024

From: Breaking News

Jailed! Agency owner who helped Albanian gang create huge drug empire

A wealthy landlord who set up a fake lettings agency in Hull has been jailed for 11 years for allowing ‘ghost tenants’ to...

07 February 2024

From: Breaking News

Right To Rent penalties soar from today - up to £20,000 fine

Fines for agents and landlords who breach Right To Rent rules increase today from £80 per lodger and £1,000 per occupier...

22 January 2024

From: Breaking News

Covid Fraud - property company bosses given suspended sentences

Two property company bosses have been sentenced following an Insolvency Service investigation which found they had abused a £30,000 Bounce Back...

20 December 2023

From: Breaking News

Letting Agent Thief sentenced after stealing over £128,000

A thieving lettings agent stole over £128,000 which should have gone to landlord clients - and with it she funded an...

07 December 2023

From: Breaking News

Fraudster agent must repay £123,000 or face more jail time

A fraudster lettings agent must repay £122,922.68 to her old firm within three months - or face yet more time in...

26 June 2023

From: Breaking News

Banned! Fraudster lettings agent jailed and cannot be a director

Trading Standards has stopped a lettings agency owner from being a company director after he defrauded customers by over £80,000. Francis Smart,...

19 June 2023

From: Breaking News

Fraud - agency maintenance chief steals almost £100,000

A lettings agency maintenance manager stole almost £100,000 from her company - but has escaped prison. Farida Mughal was working at the...

19 April 2023

From: Breaking News

Lettings manager guilty of fraud - but how much did she take?

A former lettings manager has pleaded guilty to defrauding her agency employers for almost five years - but there’s uncertainty over...

13 February 2023

From: Breaking News

Rogue agent jailed after ordering staff to make false claims

The head of a Martin & Co office in Wolverhampton has been jailed over fraudulent activity. A court heard that Bhavander Singh...

16 January 2023

From: Breaking News

Warrant for arrest of letting agent who failed to appear in court

A warrant backed without bail has been issued for the arrest of a lettings agent who failed to appear in court. Gareth Wills...

01 September 2022

From: Breaking News

Call for more due diligence after rogue letting agent jailed

Trading Standards is calling for more due diligence checks to be made following the jailing of a rogue letting agent for...

31 August 2022

From: Breaking News

Jailed! Another 34 months for agent already guilty of assault

A former lettings agent has been jailed for almost three years after admitting conning landlords out of over £80,000. The sentence for...

30 August 2022

From: Breaking News

Agency boss threatened team with violence - gets suspended sentence

The former director of a lettings agency has received a suspended jail sentence for making threats of violence against ex-colleagues in...

24 August 2022

From: Breaking News

Guilty letting agent who stole deposits now awaits sentence

A letting agent who stole over £80,000 from landlords is awaiting sentence. Frank Smart - owner of Smart Residential Letting Agents in...

15 August 2022

From: Breaking News

Agency director already banned - now fined tens of thousands

The sole director of a lettings agency, who was recently made the subject of an anti-social behaviour injunction and banning order,...

10 June 2022

From: Breaking News

Anti-social behaviour by property management firm triggers big fine

A property management company has been punished with a hefty fine for failing to both clear up and also keep free...

07 June 2022

From: Breaking News

Inventories key to ensuring agents comply with law, claims supplier

Inventories are a key tool to ensuring they, and the properties they let, comply with the law. That’s the claim from industry...

04 April 2022

From: Breaking News

Agency Fraudster - Suspended sentence for agent embezzling £50,000

A lettings agency employee who diverted over £50,000 of landlords’ money into his own account has been given a suspended sentence. Paul...

08 February 2022

From: Breaking News

Huge fine for agency and boss who perverted course of justice

Over £80,000 pounds of fines have been imposed on a letting agency and its director. Zenith Accommodation Ltd’s boss, Mohammad Mallick of...

08 November 2021

From: Breaking News

Lettings agent jailed after £182,000 fraud

A lettings agent has been jailed for three years for defrauding tenants and landlords out of more than £182,000.  Lee Clarke, 42,...

20 September 2021

From: Breaking News

Rogue lettings - ex agent given suspended sentence for fraud

A six-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, has been handed to a former lettings agent from Eastbourne for charges of...

16 September 2021

From: Breaking News

Letting agents advised to ‘up their game’ on landlord ID checks

Many letting agents fail to conduct the obligatory identity checks on landlord clients according to an industry supplier. Blinc UK says that...

11 May 2021

From: Breaking News

“Horrible crime” of illegal eviction probed by police

A 24 month community order and 200 hours of unpaid work are the price being paid for an unlawful eviction.  Buy to...

15 February 2021

From: Breaking News

Fire service wins case involving multiple safety breaches

One person had to be rescued from a fire after their landlord failed to ensure they had a working fire alarm...

27 November 2020

From: Breaking News

£100,000 compensation to be paid by rogue lettings agents

Three lettings agents who kept tenants’ rent instead of passing it to the landlords have been ordered to pay almost £100,000...

30 October 2020

From: Breaking News

Crooked agent escapes prison after stealing almost  £30,000

A crooked lettings agent stole almost £30,000 from dozens of clients to prevent his business from going bankrupt. Tim Catherall, of Nottinghamshire,...

28 September 2020

From: Breaking News

Suspended sentences after rental property carried “risk of death”

Two suspended sentences, community service, a fine and disqualification from being a director - those form the penalty for a rogue...

10 September 2020

From: Breaking News

Jail threat for BTL investor who falsely claimed benefits

A  buy to let investor has been sentenced to two years in prison after claiming income support despite being a professional portfolio...

03 August 2020

From: Breaking News

Properties seized from landlord who held group of men as slaves

A buy to let investor who kept a group of men as slaves – making them work 90-hour weeks in return...

04 June 2020

From: Breaking News

Labour council seeks Judicial Review of landlord licensing refusal

Liverpool’s Labour council, which was prevented by the government from extending its city-wide licensing scheme for another five years, is seeking...

06 April 2020

From: Breaking News

Suspended jail sentence after rental property’s safety failure

A landlord from Plymouth has been sentenced after failing to maintain gas appliances and failing to have landlord’s gas safety checks...

18 March 2020

From: Breaking News

Porsche-driving agent crook repays just £43,000 of missing £241,000

A jailed letting agent in a long-running legal saga has now been told she must repay her victims some £43,000 -...

25 February 2020

From: Breaking News

Tenant’s secret buy to lets land him with a suspended sentence

A London council tenant who for a period of seven years failed to disclose that he owned three houses, has been...

29 January 2020

From: Breaking News

Move out in one hour! Intimidating landlord to be sentenced

A rogue landlord has been found guilty of unlawful harassment and misleading and aggressive practices, and will be sentenced next month. Ragoopathy...

24 December 2019

From: Breaking News

Section 21 WILL be scrapped - it’s in Thursday’s Queen’s Speech

Number 10 briefings to the national media suggest that the scrapping of Section 21 - long talked about by the previous...

17 December 2019

From: Breaking News

“Worse than Scrooge!” - angry judge makes landlord pay £20,000

A landlord has been ordered to pay almost £20,000 and has been told by a judge that he was meaner than...

10 December 2019

From: Breaking News

Former Labour councillor jailed after years of housing fraud

A former Labour councillor and solicitor Muhammad Harun has been jailed for 16 months after pleading guilty to two counts of...

20 November 2019

From: Breaking News

Crooked agent steals thousands ... and pays back just £850

A north of England letting agent who conned home owners out of thousands of pounds has been ordered to pay it back...

12 November 2019

From: Breaking News

Agency compensates tenants and landlords after employee’s scam

Martin & Co says it has compensated clients fully after a rogue lettings agent in Cornwall added sums to invoices sent...

04 November 2019

From: Breaking News

Online lettings agency at heart of money laundering crimes

Three criminals have been sentenced after pleading guilty to money laundering involving an online lettings agency. The sentences follow an investigation spearheaded...

18 October 2019

From: Breaking News

Tenants and landlords may be offered energy 'theft' amnesty

Energy market regulator Ofgen is considering an amnesty for tenants and landlords, amongst others, to own up to ‘stealing’ energy through...

23 August 2019

From: Breaking News

Buy to let con-man must pay back £48,000 rent or go to prison

A man who claimed he needed a council house but was actually a landlord has been ordered to pay back more...

07 August 2019

From: Breaking News

London agent’s £37,000 bill after “repeated negligence” over HMOs

A London council’s action against a property agent it has accused of “repeated negligence” has resulted in £37,000 of fines and...

31 July 2019

From: Breaking News

Double trouble as rogue landlord is prosecuted for a second time

A rogue landlord in Chesterfield has received a hefty fine for a second time after the council took her to court...

18 July 2019

From: Breaking News

Surge in landlords declaring unpaid tax following HMRC crackdown

The number of landlords admitting to not paying tax has soared in the past year, according to new data. During 2018/2019, 16,110...

08 July 2019

From: Breaking News

Jailed - buy to let investor who illegally converted flats

A landlord who illegally converted a London home into two flats without planning permission has been given a prison sentence after...

20 June 2019

From: Breaking News

Under investigation: over 100 agents fail to apply for mandatory register

The Scottish Government is investigating 114 businesses suspected of carrying out letting agency work without registration and has issued 86 compliance...

08 May 2019

From: Breaking News

£1.2m confiscated from rogue buy to let firm and landlord

A London council has won one of the largest-ever Proceeds of Crime claims from an unscrupulous buy to let investor. Andre Charles Trepel,...

02 May 2019

From: Breaking News

Agent admits conning clients to pay money into personal bank account

A former employee of Martin & Co has admitted operating a fraud scheme that involved agency clients paying money into his...

26 April 2019

From: Breaking News

Proceeds of Crime Act to be used against jailed agents, council confirms

Cornwall council has confirmed that it’s to use the Proceeds of Crime Act to try to win compensation for victims of...

25 April 2019

From: Breaking News

Mother-and-daughter agent fraudsters told to expect jail time

Mother and daughter lettings agency fraudsters have been told to expect jail sentences after defrauding landlords and tenants of £266,000 over...

10 April 2019

From: Breaking News

Lies, illegal flats and hidden tenants lead to suspended jail sentence

A buy to let investor who hid families in windowless rooms after failing to get planning permission for a block of...

28 March 2019

From: Breaking News

Rogue landlord ignored Improvement Notice and safety regulations

A landlord has been convicted of three offences relating to his failure to comply with fire safety requirements in a privately...

11 March 2019

From: Breaking News

Buy to let investor facing the music after illegally evicting DJ tenant

A landlord who left his tenant homeless after changing the locks while he was on holiday has been hit with a...

19 February 2019

From: Breaking News

Jailed! Man who forged agency papers 'giving HMO planning consent'

A buy to let investor who converted three family homes to HMOs without securing planning permission has been jailed for falsifying...

18 February 2019

From: Breaking News

NALS welcomes prison sentences for three rogue letting agents

The National Approved Lettings Scheme has taken the unusual step of commenting on, and welcoming, the outcome of a court case...

01 February 2019

From: Breaking News

Trading Standards prosecutes over criminal activity at rental property

A Trading Standards team has prosecuted a landlord who allegedly 'knew' criminal activity was taking place in his buy to let...

28 January 2019

From: Breaking News

Dangerous asbestos release in rental property leads to big fines

A landlord and building contractor have been fined after quantities of asbestos fibres were released from the demolition of a conservatory...

02 January 2019

From: Breaking News

Guilty! Crooked lettings agent convicted of £20,000 fraud

A crooked lettings agent who illegally pocketed tenants’ deposits to pay for his gambling addiction and lavish lifestyle has been convicted...

24 December 2018

From: Breaking News

Buy to let couple have a choice - pay £150,000 or imprisonment

A couple from east London who illegally converted a town centre office block into 14 flats have been ordered to pay...

10 December 2018

From: Breaking News

£450,000: is this a record penalty for a buy to let landlord?

We regularly carry stories about fines for landlords and letting agents who have apparently broken council or national laws - but...

26 November 2018

From: Breaking News

Controversial landlord couple must reveal finances to court

One of Britain's highest profile landlords is to be sentenced on December 11 - and she must show the court details of...

20 November 2018

From: Breaking News

Jail for men who 'made up' VAT returns for franchise lettings branch

A man who submitted false VAT returns for the Lincoln franchise branch of Martin & Co for a period of six...

08 October 2018

From: Breaking News

Gas fitter jailed after carrying out unsafe work on buy to let units

A self-employed gas fitter has been sentenced to 16 months in prison after he carried out unsafe gas work while falsely...

06 August 2018

From: Breaking News

Rent For Sex - legal expert wants government action now

A respected property lawyer says she wants a change in the law to prevent unscrupulous landlords from offering accommodation in return for sex.  Liz...

10 July 2018

From: Breaking News

Rogue tenant jailed for 16 weeks for illegally sub-letting HMO

A head tenant who changed the locks on a property that was illegally sublet to no fewer than 35 men has...

22 June 2018

From: Breaking News

Agent banned from letting properties after head-butting incident

An agent has been banned from letting properties under ‘fit and proper person’ legislation in Scotland, following an incident in which...

08 May 2018

From: Breaking News

Second City AM journalist joins furore over letting agents

A second journalist at the London-based financial newspaper City AM has launched an attack on letting agencies - while the furore...

30 April 2018

From: Breaking News

Agency fined £40,000 after death of woman in block

A property managing agent has been ordered to pay £40,000 following the death of a woman at a fire at a...

12 April 2018

From: Breaking News

Crooked agents and landlords: 'theft totaliser' looks set for record year

The cash value of tenancy deposits crooked landlords and letting agents have been convicted of pocketing in 2018 has already passed...

27 February 2018

From: Breaking News

Sub-letting scandal as three head tenants rent out house to 35 men

Three head tenants who sub-let a three bedroom house to 35 men have been hit with over £23,000 in fines. Gheorghe-Valentin Lingurar...

26 February 2018

From: Breaking News

Letting agent stole over £350,000 of deposits to fund lavish lifestyle

The director of a lettings agency who who stole hundreds of thousands of pounds to spend on holidays and other luxuries...

16 February 2018

From: Breaking News

Huge rise in thefts of tenants' cash, says campaigning letting agent

Crooked landlords and letting agents were convicted of stealing £1,162,037 of tenant’s cash in 2017 – a rise of 14 per...

16 February 2018

From: Breaking News

Crooked letting agent must repay thousands from his own pension

A crooked lettings agent has been ordered to repay thousands of pounds from his pension. As previously reported on Letting Agent Today...

12 February 2018

From: Breaking News

Fake letting agent is finally arrested - a month after being sentenced to jail

A fake agent who made thousands from letting out rooms that didn’t exist has been arrested - a month after being...

01 February 2018

From: Breaking News

Rent-free tenants and two landlords fined over property management

Two landlords and two tenants were fined a total of over £11,000 after losing their appeal against housing convictions concerning property...

30 January 2018

From: Breaking News

Criminal letting agent spared jail after stealing over £7,600 from tenants

A letting agent has been spared jail despite stealing over £7,600 from tenants to subsidise his failing business.  Simon Cawley, from Kingsbridge...

29 January 2018

From: Breaking News

Crooked agents helped to steal £1m from tenants in 2017 - claim

Crooked letting agents and landlords have raided close to £1m from tenancy deposit accounts in 2017, new figures show. Campaigning agent Ajay Jagota,...

29 December 2017

From: Breaking News

Prison sentence after buy to let property's truly shocking fire risk

A buy to let property owner has received a four month prison sentence for letting out a property he had already...

22 December 2017

From: Breaking News

Property firm boss guilty over HMO safety: sentencing next week

The director of a property management firm has been found guilty of nine offences of breaching regulations relating to a house...

13 December 2017

From: Breaking News

Lettings firm owner jailed for failing to repay 'illegal' rent

The owner of a property firm who reportedly misled tenants and let an illegally converted property has been jailed for 155...

29 November 2017

From: Breaking News

Gambling addict lettings agent who stole thousands is jailed

A lettings agent who stole thousands of pounds collected from tenants has been jailed for 20 months. Kent Online reports that gambling...

16 October 2017

From: Breaking News

Crooked ex-lettings agent conned five other agencies into releasing keys

A former lettings agent stole thousands of pounds worth of cash and personal items from homes after conning other agents into...

06 October 2017

From: Breaking News

Suspended jail sentence after failing to maintain gas appliances

A landlord from Cornwall has been fined after failing to maintain gas appliances at his rental properties in Launceston.   Truro Crown Court...

11 September 2017

From: Breaking News

Crooked agents have stolen £700,000 so far this year says campaigner

Crooked letting agents have been convicted of stealing almost £700,000 of tenants’ deposits in the first half of 2017.   Campaigning letting agent...

27 July 2017

From: Breaking News

Property management firm hit with record health and safety fine

A management firm and corporate landlord have been hit with a £250,000 fine after a “potentially lethal” flat blaze in London -...

30 May 2017

From: Breaking News

Family of rogue landlords guilty of 'Shanty Town' overcrowding

A family of rogue landlords who crammed 31 tenants into a 'Slumdog Millionaire'-style shanty home have this month been found guilty...

25 May 2017

From: Breaking News

Suspended sentence after Fire Brigade prosecutes London landlord

A north London landlord who housed a family of five, including three children, in a cramped attic has been prosecuted by...

11 May 2017

From: Breaking News

Suspended jail term for agency staff member who stole £11,500

An agency staff member has received a suspended prison sentence after stealing £11,500 in unclaimed deposits from a branch of Connells.   Amy...

02 May 2017

From: Breaking News

Councils want 'tiny' flats banned and jail for rogue landlords

A body representing 370 councils in England and Wales wants the government to close a legal loophole which allows the conversion...

12 April 2017

From: Breaking News

Illegal eviction lands property firm owner with electronic tag

A property company owner who waged a campaign of harassment and intimidation against a young mother he wanted to illegally evict...

17 March 2017

From: Breaking News

Illegal eviction leads to £7,000 fine and 200 hours community service

A landlord who admitted threatening violence against a tenant who left the property he was renting has been given a substantial...

16 March 2017

From: Breaking News

Buy to let company boss sentenced after evading £281,000 tax

A landlord who ran multiple property companies but failed to declare his income or that he was a company director to...

13 March 2017

From: Breaking News

Landlord fails to overturn eviction conviction and sentence

A rogue landlord found guilty of waging a campaign of harassment and intimidation against a young mother he wanted to illegally...

27 February 2017

From: Breaking News

Sentencing awaited after breach of council licensing regime

A council’s first case for non-compliance with its landlord licensing regime has seen one individual plead guilty to 12 offences -...

27 February 2017

From: Breaking News

Letting agency owner ordered to pay £25,000 to victims

A convicted Surrey letting agent who used his clients’ money to cover his business debts has been ordered to pay £25,000...

23 February 2017

From: Breaking News

Right To Rent 'discriminating against legal tenants' - claim

A report out today claims foreigners and Britons without passports, particularly from ethnic minorities, are being discriminated against in the lettings...

13 February 2017

From: Breaking News

Fraudster jailed after keeping 'holding deposits' from tenants

A fraudster has been jailed after being convicted on nine counts of fraud, theft and forgery relating to property firms which...

09 February 2017

From: Breaking News

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