UK landlord firm fined £42,500 after tenants found near dead rats and waste

A landlord company in County Durham has been fined £42,500 after tenants were found living in unsafe conditions, including sleeping on the floor surrounded by dead rats, mice, human waste and urine.Carter Property Services, owned by 59-year-old Glyn Carter, was prosecuted by Durham County Council after officers found repeated breaches of the conditions attached to its selective landlord licence, Landlord Zone reported. The company manages around 300 rental properties.Peterlee Magistrates Court heard that the company had broken 13 licence conditions across eight rented homes in Shotton, South Hetton, Blackhall Colliery, Peterlee and Seaham. The council said the failures put tenants' health and safety at risk.Alarm over propertyOne of the most serious cases came to light after paramedics attended a property in Peterlee. According to the court, three adults were sleeping on the floor in a house surrounded by waste, including dead rats and mice.