A COLINDALE landlord has been fined after failing to make basic repairs on his property, leaving a staircase collapsed.

Mohammed Hussain Chauhdry was prosecuted by Barnet Council after repeatedly failing to heed warnings about the state of the five-bed home he let in Colindale Avenue.

Concerns were first raised by environmental health officers in October 2007, who instructed Chauhdry to replace the roof covering and fix the staircase.

When the home was visited again the staircase was collapsing and had been “fixed” with a ramshackle piece of timber and pile of ceramic tiles.

Chauhdry was prosecuted under the Housing Act in Hendon Magistrates Court on Thursday, June 25.

A panel of magistrates found him guilty and fined him £1,750. He was also made to pay court costs of £2,176.10.

Councillor Richard Cornelius, cabinet member for community services, said: "Landlords have a duty to maintain their properties to a safe condition.

“Just as tenants have obligations to landlords so do landlords to tenants.

"This case is a good example of a landlord knowingly leaving a property dangerous and being prosecuted and punished."