A group of London renters have successfully managed to claim back 95% of their annual rent payment after taking their landlord to court.
The judge ruled that the tenant's home, which was an old converted bagel factory, was "not fit for human habitation" reported MyLondon.
The tenants living in the converted flat in Fulham in West London had to put up with water leaks, lack of fire escapes and doors, high chances of mould forming and concerns over asbestos in the roof.
The legal charity that supported the case, Justice for Tenants, said the lack of fire exits and doors in the property "caused a great concern".
The group of renters and their landlord appeared at the First Tier Tribunal Property Chamber in London in February after having initially made their rent repayment order (RRO) application in June 2022.
The tenants had been living in a warehouse that had been divided into eight units, with their part of the property having been "used to bake bagels".
The judge noted that there was "no evidence" that the landlord had got planning permission to change the use of the building to residential property.
The ruling said: "There was a severe risk of death or serious injury had there been a fire in the Premises or in any other part of the Premises.
"The lack of natural ventilation in the habitable rooms was a major cause of concern."
The judge said this concern was considered "greater" after the arrival of Covid-19.
The judge ruled that the landlord had "acted in cynical disregard of his obligations as a landlord" finding "'no criticism of the conduct of the tenants".
This was due to the landlord not providing any of the tenants with an EPC, a gas safety certificate, a record of the electrical inspections or the "How to Rent" checklist.
The tenant's deposits were also not placed in a Rent Deposit Scheme.
Overall, the court ruled that the property was "prejudicial to [the tenant's] health as defined by the Environmental Protection Act 1990".
The tenants received payments back on the rent ranging from just above £2,000 to just above £8,200.
Justice for Tenants told MyLondon: "This is a clear example of a landlord seeking to conceal who they are, and turning a commercial space into a death trap, solely for the purpose of extracting money from tenants in need of somewhere to live.
"No one in this country should have to live in a home, where they are so likely to die, simply so the landlord can make more money.
"I'm so glad that these tenants got such a good award, and I'm even more glad that there was not a fire, as there was an unreasonably high chance that no one would have survived."
