Dagenham flat riddled with bed bugs, mould, damp and switch stuck with duct tape

The property also had no working smoke alarms, broken kitchen cupboards, an exposed bathroom light and a bad infestation of bed bugs.
A switch patched up with duct tape Credit: London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Council

A landlord has been ordered to pay his tenants almost £15,000 back in rent after he left them living in “disgusting conditions” which included a severe case of bed bugs.

When Barking and Dagenham Council officers visited the former council-owned two-bed flat on Butteridges Close, they discovered it was rife with damp and mould and the oven plug had been stuck together with duct tape.

The property also had no working smoke alarms, broken kitchen cupboards, an exposed bathroom light and a bad infestation of bed bugs.

Rogue landlord, Kehinde Wilson Gbadegesin of Greenwich had already been fined over £11,000 in February of this year after he failed to carry out repairs and had failed to register for a private rented property license.

During a virtual tribunal Mr Gbadegesin was ordered to pay back rent – totalling £14,400 – for the period between February 2022 to January 2023 which was made possible under the Housing and Planning Act 2016.

Exposed bathroom light found by council officials Credit: London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Council

He was also ordered to pay an extra £300 to cover the costs of his tenant’s application as well as the hearing fee.

Cllr Syed Ghani, cabinet member for enforcement and community safety, said: “No one should be left to live in dangerous and disgusting conditions such as those faced by these tenants, so I am pleased to hear this rogue landlord will be made to pay back every penny he unscrupulously took from them. 

“Our private rented property licensing scheme is there to improve standards for all, and I hope this sends a strong message that we will continue to take action against the small minority who think they can flout the rules and do as they please.”

All private landlords must be registered with the council as part of its private rented property licensing scheme, however if tenants believe their landlord is unregistered they can report them by emailing prpl@lbbd.gov.uk.

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