A DAD living in “constant worry” has managed toĀ sueĀ his landlord for illegally failingĀ to safeguard his deposit and making his life a āmiseryā.
Alexandros Alexopoulos and his family rented a house in Iver,Ā BuckinghamshireĀ in 2020, and were initially unaware the landlord failed to register their Ā£1,350 down payment in a government-approved scheme.
The 56-year-old who now lives in Croydon, says he endured threats of eviction, crippling financial pressure and sometimes no hot water, before seeking the help of Manchester-based Barings Law.
Under the Housing Act, landlords are legally obligated to inform their tenants of deposit protection within 30 days or face paying up to three times the original amount.
Introduced in 2007, the measures, which give tenants up to six years to make a claim, seek to protect individuals from unscrupulous landlords who attempt to withhold deposits, worth up to five weeks rent, which is paid upfront.
Alexandros, who was paying Ā£1,350 monthly rent and 10 per cent of household bills as part of the agreement with his private landlord, conducted his own research on protection schemes only to discover he wasn’t registered, leading him to believe his deposit had been left unprotected.
āIt was a nightmare,ā says Alexandros. āI was living in constant worry from one month to the next, thinking how I would support my family. My landlord was like a vampire sucking my blood.
āI would have sleepless nights thinking about bills.
āWhen I found out my deposit hadnāt been secured that was the last straw, I was livid. Most tenants wouldnāt think to check these things which is probably why many landlords get away with it.”
āIām sure Iām not the only one out there. My landlord made my life miserable.ā
The familyās struggles included periods without basic needs like electricity and a burst pipe once flooded their living space, leaving them with gone-off food due to a malfunctioning fridge.
Barings Law was able to secure Ā£3,100 in out-of-court damages for Alexandros, who moved out of the property in June.
The aircraft engineer describes how the settlement brought a sense of justice, but fears for others who suffer at the hands of corrupt landlords without any means to do anything about it.
Having migrated from Greece in 2016, Alexandros also believes that landlords often ‘exploit foreigners who may be unfamiliar with the system’, leaving them vulnerable to abuses of power.
āLandlords have got too much power,ā he said.
“Theyāve got a rope around our necks. You can be kicked out at any second, they take your money and youāre just another number.”
Ahmad Ismaiel, part of the legal team at Barings Law who represented Alexandros, said: “We are delighted with the outcome and the justice served. It was clear from the beginning that our client had been put through significant hardships.
“This victory sends a powerful message to landlords who may think they can evade their responsibilities. We stand with tenants like Alexandros, fighting to protect their rights and seeking fair treatment for all.ā
