Incorrect use of license agreements by Greenwich landlord leads to criminal prosecution

Thursday, May 9th, 2024 - Royal Borough of Greenwich

A landlord who was not following correct tenancy management arrangements has been prosecuted and ordered to pay almost £6,000.

The Royal Borough of Greenwich successfully prosecuted Mrs Anna Yang, an Essex based landlord. 

Mrs Yang provided the tenants of her apartment in Charlton, SE London, with misleading licence agreements which said that her tenants did not have any Housing Act 1988 protection from immediate eviction.

Despite living in Southend, Mrs Yang continued to use documents which stated the landlord lived in the property she rented out, implying the tenants were lodgers.

Following an investigation by the Council’s Trading Standards team, Mrs Yang was prosecuted for an offence under regulation 9 of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.

Bexley Magistrates Court gave Mrs Yang full credit for her guilty plea at the first hearing. She was fined £2,700, ordered to pay £2,855.27 costs to the Royal Borough of Greenwich and a victim surcharge of £270.

A Council spokesperson said: 

“It’s so important that rogue landlords such as Mrs Yang are caught and prosecuted for unlawfully profiting and misleading their tenants with false information. We would urge our landlords to ensure that they are delivering good practices for all their tenants.” 

Landlords can find information on their rights and responsibilities by visiting royalgreenwich.gov.uk/landlord-advice.

Our free guide containing more information about property licensing and HMO planning restrictions in the Royal Borough of Greenwich is available here.

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