Two Lewisham landlords have been ordered to pay more than £4,000 each after they failed to repair a serious leak which caused their tenants’ bathroom ceiling to collapse.

Felicia Ifeobikwu, from Gibbon Road, and Michael Okoroafor, from Drovers Place, pleaded guilty at Bromley Magistrates’ Court on June 14, 2022.

The tenants had contacted Lewisham Council in November 2021 to complain about a leak from the bathroom ceiling and housing officers served Ifeobikwu and Okoroafor with a formal notice requiring them to take action.

However, no repairs were carried out despite several warnings from the council and two weeks later the ceiling collapsed – cutting all power to the lights in the flat and forcing the tenants to move into temporary accommodation.

According to Lewisham Council, Ifeobikwu was the landlord and Okoroafor was the property owner.

Ifeobikwu was ordered to pay £4,067.83, whilst Okoroafor was ordered to pay £4,026.33.

This included a £3,333.33 fine each, a £172 surcharge to victim services each, and costs of £562.50 for Ifeobikwu and £521 for Okoroafor.

They both were ordered to pay the first instalment by July 12.

Councillor Sophie Davis, cabinet member for housing management and homelessness, said: “We are committed to supporting private renters in Lewisham and taking action against landlords who break the law.

“Everybody has a right to good-quality, safe housing and we will continue working to improve standards in the private-rented sector.”

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