Winchester City Council cracks down on anti-social tenants
Winchester City Council has been cracking down on the anti-social behaviour of tenants over the last few months. The Housing and Legal teams have gained several Anti Social Behaviour Injunctions and are taking swift action with any new complaints received.In December the City Council gained an Interim Injunction Order on three people living in Winchester to ensure the safety and quality of life for their tenants. Three people in question were causing noise problems to tenants in Richard Moss House and the city council applied to the court for an urgent hearing just before Christmas on the 22 December 2005, with Southampton County Court giving the final order in January.
The City Council also gained possession forthwith, on 14 February 2006, of one of their council properties in central Winchester. The property was being used as a drug den by a number of squatters after it was abandoned by its tenant who was holidaying abroad. The council is now applying for a warrant to possess the property, which was in a needle-littered uninhabitable state. The council also won a judgement for £2000 of rent arrears unpaid by the tenant.
City Council Lawyer Aicha Laroussi said, "As a council we try to take swift action to ensure the protection of our tenants. We are not prepared to tolerate anti-social behaviour and will take any action necessary to prevent it".