A landlord has been forced to pay out £15,000 after renting out damp an dangerous properties.

Nitin ‘Nick’ King owns and manages more than 250 Medway rental properties and left tenants living in a house in Luton Road, Chatham, which had dangerous stairs and steps and inadequate fire precautions.

Council officers also found the basement so damp that they had to impose a prohibition order to prevent anyone from living there.

King of The Street, Bredgar, Sittingbourne, appeared at Medway Magistrates’ Court and pleaded guilty to five counts of failing to comply with an Improvement Notice.

He was fined £11,000, and order to pay costs of £3,050 and £120 victim surcharge.

Medway Council’s head of housing Cllr Howard Doe said: “The large fines given in these cases reflect the seriousness of the offences and demonstrate that the council is dedicated tackling poor quality housing and rogue landlords.

“A majority of Medway landlords are reputable and are providing valuable accommodation to tenants, but sadly there are a handful letting out poor quality properties and this is not acceptable.

"Medway Council’s housing team will continue to take action against landlords who fail to provide a satisfactory standard of accommodation to Medway tenants.”