A landlord who unlawfully evicted a tenant over a rent dispute has been punished by Brent Council.
Harrow Crown Court heard how Blessing Onwe changed the locks on the front door of his house in Beaumont Avenue,Wembley and threw his tenant's belongings out onto the street after the argument.
He pleaded guilty to unlawful eviction on July 29 and was hit with a year-long community service order with 140 hours of unpaid work.
He was also ordered to pay costs of £2,500.
Councillor James Allie, lead member for housing and customer services, said: "Brent Council takes complaints of unlawful eviction very seriously. This case demonstrates that landlords need to be aware of their legal responsibilities to their tenants or they could face prosecution in the courts.
"We are keen to uphold good standards in the private sector in Brent and this includes investigating serious complaints made by tenants about landlords."
Brent Council's tenancy protection team offers support to private tenants, helping to resolve disputes and investigating complaints of unlawful eviction.
