Landlord hit with £4,000 fine after water leak caused tenants bathroom ceiling to collapse

A landlord and property owner who failed to repair a serious water leak in a private rented property in Lewisham have been fined £4,000 after their tenants’ bathroom ceiling collapsed.

After the tenants got in contact with Lewisham Council in November 2021 to complain about the leak from the bathroom ceiling, housing officers served the landlord and property owner with a formal notice requiring them to take action.

Two weeks later, despite several warnings from the Council, no repairs had been carried out to address the leak, resulting in the collapse of the bathroom ceiling. The collapse made it impossible for the tenants to enter the bathroom and also cut off power to the lights in the flat, forcing them to be moved into temporary accommodation.

The landlord, Felicia Ifeobikwu, and property owner, Michael Okoroafar, appeared at Bromley Magistrates’ Court last month. The pair plead guilty to not complying with the original repair notice and a £4,067.83 fine was issued.

Cllr Sophie Davis, Cabinet Member for Housing Management and Homelessness, said:

"We are committed to supporting private renters in Lewisham and taking action against landlords who break the law. Everybody has a right to good-quality, safe housing and we will continue working to improve standards in the private-rented sector.”