Landlord fined £11,000 for misleading tenants

A landlord has been found guilty of misleading young tenants and making them pay extra money for their deposits.

Josefina Velazquez, 62, of Hampton Road in Redland, pleaded guilty to three charges at Bristol Magistrates Court on 8 April, and has been ordered to pay £11,000 in fines.

It was found that Ms Velazquez misled her student tenants about their tenancies, so that she could take more money from them, according to the Bristol City Council.

Councillor Richard Eddy said: "We want to make sure that tenants feel confident speaking up when they have an issue with their landlord, and we will look at taking action against any Bristol landlord or agent who systematically misleads their tenants."

An investigation by Bristol City Council uncovered a pattern by Ms Velazquez which involved two groups of tenants, between 2022 and 2024.

Ms Velazquez offered deposits at a lower amount than she charged, and she lied to her tenants about their rights, the court heard.

After being told by Bristol City Council that they intended to prosecute her, Ms Velazquez refunded the money to her student tenants, a total of £6,924.

Ms Velazquez was ordered by District Judge Matthews to work with Bristol City Council and also spoke about the "vulnerability" of young student tenants who may be eager to secure accommodation within limited time.

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