Serco fined £10,000 over asylum house neglect

A property in Lower Ford Street was used to house asylum seekers and run by Serco

A company running a house where asylum seekers live has been fined £10,000 after the property in the centre of Coventry was found to be in a state of neglect.

Coventry City Council said there were "serious breaches of housing regulations" at the house in multiple occupation (HMO) in Lower Ford Street, run by Serco.

Inspections found multiple failings in the management of the house and described it as being "in a state of neglect, with conditions falling far below acceptable standards", the council said, adding that it had issued three penalty notices despite legal representations from Serco.

Serco said it addressed issues as quickly as possible, which is what happened in this case.

Councillor Abdul Salam Khan said: "This case sends a clear message that Coventry will not tolerate poor housing conditions, especially where vulnerable residents are concerned.

"The scale of the mismanagement uncovered was unacceptable, and the fines imposed reflect our commitment to holding housing providers to account."

He said: "We expect all landlords and agents - regardless of size - to meet their legal obligations and provide safe, decent accommodation."

The council confirmed the fine had been paid in full.

It said that further monitoring of Serco's housing operations would continue to ensure compliance with standards.

A Serco spokesperson said: "We take our obligations to provide good quality accommodation extremely seriously.

"Where issues are reported, our team address them as quickly as possible, as happened in this case.

"We have invested heavily to improve the standards of the properties under our management and our housing officers inspect properties monthly."