44 year old evicted after teenage son & lodger convicted

A judge in the county court granted the council an eviction order after hearing that the woman’s 17-year-old son and 23-year-old lodger had been convicted of selling cocaine and heroin from the property.

The court ruled that by permitting these illegal activities, the tenant, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, had breached the conditions of her tenancy.

The judge was told that a police raid on the flat in Ellisfield Drive, Roehampton, had resulted in the seizure of a quantity of drugs.

Housing spokesman Cllr Paul Ellis said:
“Allowing her home to be used for these illegal purposes has led to this tenant losing her home. When you move into a Wandsworth Council-owned property, you must agree to comply with certain rules and conditions. People who break these rules should be under no illusion whatsoever about the potential consequences they face.

He continued:
“We make no apology for taking tough action against those who engage in criminal activity. There is no room on our housing estates for people involved in the drugs trade.”

The council’s tenancy agreement was drawn up in close consultation with residents who live on the borough’s housing estates and is designed to tackle illegal activities, anti-social behaviour and nuisance behaviour that impacts on others. Anyone who wishes to live in council-owned accommodation must agree to abide by these rules before they are given the keys to the property.

The agreement forbids tenants, their household members, lodgers, friends and visitors from committing a range of criminal and anti-social activities. These rules apply not just to an individual housing block or the immediate vicinity of the property, but cover the entire borough of Wandsworth.

Examples of criminal or anti-social behaviour which are likely to lead to legal action from the housing department include:

• using or threatening to use violence
• hate crime or harassment due to race, religion, faith, disability, age, gender or sexual orientation
• creating noise at a level that is intrusive or disturbing to neighbours
• damaging property
• drug or alcohol abuse and drug dealing
• dumping rubbish
• criminal activity in properties
• graffiti and other markings
• domestic disputes eg shouting etc
• throwing things out of windows
• not keeping pets under control and allowing dogs to bark and foul
• not controlling children properly

The agreement also covers the council’s responsibilities when it comes to making repairs and a tenant's rights to compensation if the council does not complete a repair in reasonable time. It also provides advice on how to make a complaint about the council's housing services.

Over the past three years 22 tenants have been evicted from council-owned accommodation for breaching the tenancy conditions as a result of their criminal and/or anti-social behaviour.

For more information about tenancy conditions and other issues related to council homes in the borough visit www.wandsworth.gov.housing.

October 25, 2012