A private landlord has been fined for illegally evicting his tenant by changing the locks while he was out the house.
Trevor Bell had served a section 8 notice - the first step in proceedings to bring a tenancy to an end.
However, he failed to issue possession proceedings or secure any order of the court.
South East Northumberland Magistrates' Court heard Northumberland County Council’s private sector housing team advised Bell it would be unlawful to evict the tenant without a court order.
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But in February 2018, the landlord changed the locks to the property while the tenant was out.
Once the council became aware of the matter it was passed to the local authority’s corporate fraud team to investigate.
Bell, from Bedlington, Northumberland, pleaded guilty to carrying out an illegal eviction.
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The 40-year-old was fined £265, ordered to pay £250 court costs and a £30 victim surcharge.
Philip Soderquest, the council's head of housing and public protection, said: “We want everyone to have a safe and secure home and we take these cases very seriously.
“The majority of landlords across the county are very professional but a few seem to have little care for the responsibilities that come with letting a property.
“There is a legal eviction process that landlords must adhere to and unlawful eviction, the threat of unlawful eviction, harassment and intimidation are all totally unacceptable.
“While there is a great deal of help and support available to landlords, acting outside the law will not be tolerated.
“Taking prosecutions like this to court is part of our commitment to making sure that there are high standards of accommodation and responsible management across the private housing sector.”
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