County Durham nightmare landlords moved into tenant’s spare room while she was still living there

Chilton: Imagine living in your own home, and suddenly your landlords decide to crash in your spare room. That’s exactly what happened to a woman in County Durham.

Vicky Hargreaves and her partner, Frank Bradley, served their tenant an eviction notice but then moved into her spare room anyway. They first did this in July 2023, and even after serving notice, they returned to the property demanding to stay.

It turns out they were breaking the law. The tenant was still within her legal notice period, which made their actions a violation of the Protection from Eviction Act 1977. This led to the Durham County Council stepping in.

In December 2023, Frank pleaded guilty in court and was hit with fines totaling £588.50. Vicky, on the other hand, skipped her trial, but the evidence against her was pretty damning. A recording played in court showed her saying she didn’t care about being arrested.

She even told the tenant, “You’ve got two bedrooms up there; we’re only asking for one.” Frank added, “If you want to shut the doors, I can still get in there, no bother at all.” Talk about nerve!

In the end, Vicky was fined £924. The whole ordeal left the tenant feeling stressed and uncomfortable, which is totally understandable.

Michael Kelleher from the council made it clear that what these landlords did was unlawful. He emphasized that landlords can’t just move in while a tenant is still living there. It’s all about following the legal process.

He also praised the tenant for standing up for her rights, saying it’s important to protect private sector tenants. This case shows that the council is serious about taking action against landlords who break the rules.

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