A GRAYS landlord has been ordered to pay more than £18,000 after failing to provide adequate living conditions for his tenants.

Chelmsford magistrates fined Palmview Estates, a company based on Stamford Hill, London, and the company's sole director Hersch Sternlicht, described at cCompanies House as both a British Virgin Islander living in the UK and British Citizen, for letting undersized rooms following a hearing.

The court heard that Prohibition Orders were made on the four undersized rooms by Thurrock Council in September 2017. Officers reviewed the Orders in 2019 and found that two of the rooms had been let to new tenants.

Magistrates fined Palmview Estates Limited a total of £7,000, a £190 victim surcharge and costs of £3,551. Sternlicht, 47, who is associated with a number of other property companies, was also fined £4,000, a £190 victim surcharge and costs of £3,551. Sternlicht plans to appeal the decision.

Cabinet member for housing, Cllr Barry Johnson, said: "We will continue to target exploitative landlords to ensure that those living in shared accommodation have access to a good quality home and safe place to live in.

"Landlords and letting agents must ensure any properties they rent out are up to code and are licensed, where appropriate. Failure to do so is an offence which can result in prosecution or a fine of up to £30,000."

The council also issued a Civil Penalty Notice (CPN) to Sternlicht for the same property for breaches found under the HMO management regulations in 2019. These included a water leak to the hallway ceiling from a defective boiler and inadequate fire safety measures.