Landlord banned from renting out unheated garage with one plug socket after family found living inside

Dangerous: The garage had no smoke alarms or fire escapes

A landlord has been banned from renting out an unheated garage as a private home after a family with a six-year-old child were found living in 'unbelievable' conditions.
The garage, in Blaby, near Leicester, had a broken shower, one working plug socket, no smoke alarms and no fire escape
The Portuguese family told council safety inspectors they were being charged £400 a month in rent to live in a section of the garage.
The landlord has now been banned from renting it out again unless "extensive work" is carried out.

Blaby District Council

Cramped: The garage was divided into three rooms

Read more: Rent and house prices expected to rocket 6% next year as shortage of properties hits
The tenants are believed to have been living in the garage for seven months and have now been re-homed.
Environmental health officer for Blaby District Council, Phil Fasham, said the property had no natural light in some areas and could have risked the family's lives in the event of a fire as the main garage door did not open.
He said: "For a property for people to live in, it's one of the worst I have seen because it was so tiny."

Blaby District Council

The landlord - who has not been named - will face prosecution if anyone else is found living there before it is brought up to standard.
Blaby councillor Guy Jackson said it was "hard to believe ... any landlord thinks that it is acceptable to let a family live in those conditions".