Lidia Szopinska, a London-based interior designer, has been prosecuted for the second time for unlawfully evicting a tenant from her property in Cheltenham. Cheltenham Borough Council found Szopinska guilty of changing the door code to the property, preventing the tenant from accessing their rented room.

Szopinska had initially agreed to let a room in her Cheltenham house to a tenant for a three-month period starting in January 2022. However, she later altered the agreed terms, including the tenant’s access times and the services included in the rent. After changing the door code, the tenant was left unable to access their room for the duration of the rental agreement.

The tenant was forced to vacate the property after only two weeks, rather than the agreed three months. Additionally, Szopinska did not return the tenant’s deposit or provide a refund for the unused rental period.

The Protection from Eviction Act 1977 states it is a criminal offence to unlawfully deprive a residential occupier of their premises without reasonable cause to believe that the occupier has vacated the property.

Cllr Martin Horwood, council member for customer and regulatory services, emphasised the council’s commitment to ensuring fair practices among private landlords. He commented, “We will support those who operate professionally, while taking enforcement action against rogue landlords.”

Enforcement manager at Cheltenham Borough Council, Mark Nelson, added, “No landlord can act outside the law and we will do everything in our power to ensure tenants can live in rented properties safe in the knowledge that we are there to protect them from illegal eviction.”

Szopinska was fined £210 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £84 at Cheltenham Magistrates Court on 10 May 2023. She was also ordered to pay prosecution costs and compensation totalling £7,540.60. This follows a previous conviction for unlawfully depriving a couple of their occupation of a property, found guilty at Cheltenham Magistrates Court on 22 March 2023.