A rogue landlord has been ordered to pay more than £23,000 after letting out a dilapidated and dangerous house to a family in Camber.

Eric Moon’s tenants complained to Rother District Council’s environmental health team in December 2022 about the poor condition of the property in Pelwood Road, East Sussex (pictured).

Inspecting council officers found collapsing ceilings, dangerous electrical installations, poor safety to stairs and steps, damp and mould and general disrepair – a total of three severe Category 1 hazards and seven Category 2 hazards.

The house also had no heating, despite the outside temperature being one degree, resulting in the internal temperature only reaching a maximum of 13 degrees.

81-year-old

Moon, 81, of Jurys Gap, Rye, was served with improvement notices in January 2023 requiring repair works to be undertaken but did not comply with them and made no improvements. He was found guilty last month of three counts of non-compliance.

At the sentencing hearing, Hasting magistrates said the case was a matter of “high harm and high culpability”. Moon was fined £20,000 with a surcharge of £2,000 and costs of £1,649.

Richard Parker-Harding (pictured), head of environmental health at Rother District Council, says it’s important that tenants have habitable living conditions.

“This was an exceptional case where there was significant risk to the health of the tenants, and of the chance of serious injury, given the lack of maintenance at the property,” he adds. “We encourage landlords to listen to tenants’ concerns and take action to reduce hazards at the properties that they rent.”

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