A landlord who harassed their tenant in an attempt to force them to move out of their property has been fined £2,000 after pleading guilty to four offences of harassment of a residential occupier under the terms of the Protection from Eviction Act 1977.

Nicholas Rawlings, 53, of St Breward, Cornwall, appeared before Bodmin Magistrates’ Court last week.

Magistrates heard the offences, committed between December 2024 and May 2025, involved actions that interfered with the peace and comfort of the tenant were intended, or reasonably believed, to pressure her into giving up occupation of her home.

These included writing to the tenant in December 2024 to claim he would be moving back into the property despite having served no valid Section 21 notice, and sending a further letter in January 2025 stating that a new tenant would be moving in at the start of March that year.

These communications caused the tenant significant distress, and they sought help from Cornwall Council.

Rawlings then undermined formal tenancy advice provided by the Council's Tenancy Relations Officer by copying the tenant into emails that challenged their guidance, behaviour likely to discourage her from exercising her legal rights.

In addition, he issued an invalid Section 21 eviction notice during the tenancy.

After pleading guilty, Rawlings was fined £500 for each offence (£2,000) and ordered to pay an £800 victim surcharge and £4,183.20 in prosecution costs, totalling £6,983.20.

Stuart Kenney, Cornwall Council’s group leader - private sector housing and licensing compliance, said: “This case underlines our firm commitment to protecting tenants from harassment and unlawful pressure to leave their homes.

“The landlord’s behaviour involved in this case was deeply inappropriate, deliberate and sustained, and the conduct had a significant impact on the health of the tenant and her children.

“Landlords cannot invent their own eviction processes or use threats, misinformation or financial pressure to force tenants out. Cornwall Council will investigate and seek to take a strong enforcement approach when these offences occur."

Cllr Peter La Broy, the council’s portfolio holder for housing said: “The landlords’ behaviour in this case shows how damaging unlawful pressure can be for tenants, and why strong safeguards and clear legal standards are essential.

“I fully support the work of Cornwall Council’s Private Sector Housing Team, whose careful investigations and firm enforcement action play a vital role in protecting residents and holding rogue landlords to account.

“The new Renters’ Rights Act 2025 strengthens these protections further. From May 1, 2026, ‘no fault’ Section 21 evictions will end, giving tenants far greater security and ensuring they cannot be forced out of their homes without a valid legal reason.

“The Act also introduces a modernised tenancy system, replacing fixed term contracts with rolling periodic tenancies and limiting rent increases to once a year, alongside new rights for tenants to challenge unfair or above market rises intended to drive them out.

“These reforms make it much harder for rogue landlords to misuse their position, and Cornwall Council will continue to take robust action wherever tenants are treated unfairly.”