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A landlord has to follow a strict legal process in order to evict a tenant (Picture: Men Media)A landlord who kicked a dad and his five-year-old out of their home by changing their locks and throwing their stuff on the street has been fined.
Antanas Danilevicius had fallen behind on his rent payments and returned home from work to find his son’s toys strewn across the pavement on February 4 last year.
Mr Danilevicius’s clothes were also packed up along with his TV, Hoover, watch, bedding and collectable toys.
His landlord, Antanas Klibavicius, 40, had gone to the Sheffield property while Mr Danilevicius was not in, kicked the family out and changed the locks.
But now, Sheffield City Council has fined Mr Klibavicius £416 after he admitted the unlawful deprivation of occupation.
A court has to give a landlord official permission before they are allowed to evict a tenant.
More: Renting
Although missing rent payments can be a valid reason for eviction, there is a strict legal process for landlords to follow.
This includes issuing various notices, applying for court orders and getting a warrant for possession.
On top of his fine, Mr Klibavicius also has to pay £650 in compensation to Mr Danilevicius and £1,283 in court costs.
Director of Housing and Neighbourhood Services at Sheffield City Council, Janet Sharpe, said: ‘We will not tolerate the harassment or illegal eviction of private tenants in this city as this case shows.
‘We have one of the most robust approaches to tackling illegal evictions of any city in the country and we have a zero-tolerance approach to those who intimidate and exploit vulnerable tenants.
‘Everyone deserves to live in safe, good quality housing regardless of whether they rent or own their home. I am determined to carry on clamping down on the very small minority of bad landlords in Sheffield who treat their tenants badly and tarnish the private rented sector.’
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