A LANDLORD has landed a £6,416.23 court bill after a series of safety failures at his Dudley property.

Fire doors were not properly maintained at the home in High Street and would have been ineffective in the event of a fire.

The property, which was home to five people, also had no hot water and the kitchen was not kept clean.

Safety concerns were brought to light following a fire at the property in May 2015 and fire crews reported the problems to Dudley Council.

Landlord, Rakesh Sandhi, of Ednam Road, Wolverhampton, pleaded guilty to 11 offences of breaching the Housing Act at Dudley Magistrates Court.

He was ordered to pay £4,900 in fines and £1,396.23 costs and a £120 victim surcharge.

Alan Lunt, the council's strategic director for place directorate, said: “We have a duty to help protect people in their homes including privately rented accommodation.

"This case shows that there are serious consequences for landlords who do not provide safe homes for their tenants, and I hope it acts as a warning that we do take this very seriously.”