A LANDLORD has been hit with a £20,000 fine – the biggest the council has ever issued.

Eastleigh Borough Council has prosecuted the landlord for ‘failing to safeguard the health, safety and welfare of his tenants’.

This resulted in the landlord receiving a fine of £20,000 which the council’s legal team say is the biggest fine they have ever handed out.

Christopher Grayston, 48, from Southampton, was the owner of the property, a house in multiple occupation (HMO) in Newtown Road, Eastleigh.

The offences were brought under the Housing Act 2004 for multiple breaches of the Management of HMO Regulations 2006 in respect of the property.

His tenants are said to have been ‘seriously compromised and exposed to a real risk of harm, especially in terms of fire safety’.

A council spokesperson said: “For an individual landlord, this is the biggest fine for the council.

“Our aim is to avoid court and we would prefer to work with landlords.

“In an ideal world the landlord would fix the problems, but in this case it wasn’t forthcoming.”

Grayston, of College Street, Southampton, appeared at Southampton Magistrates’ Court in February this year to plead guilty to offences brought by the Council’s prosecuting lawyer David Foster.

These were in relation to his ‘negligent management’ of the property.

The case was adjourned for sentencing until October 16.

The judge last week found that Grayston was guilty of three charges.

These were failing to provide information to the occupier, failing to take safety measures, and failing to maintain common parts, fixtures, fittings and appliances.

He was sentenced to pay £20,000 and ordered to pay Council costs of £1956 plus a victim surcharge of £170 at total in excess of £22,000.

Cabinet Lead for Social Policy Councillor Tina Campbell said: “The Council takes the issue of housing conditions very seriously.

“This successful prosecution sends a strong and robust message to other HMO managers and landlords in the borough that the Council will not tolerate poor housing for tenants many of whom are often vulnerable and disadvantaged.

“It also demonstrates that the Council will act to protect the health, safety and welfare of tenants and is committed to improving housing standards within the borough.”