HMO landlord ordered to pay £39,000
Friday 6th June 2014
A Leicester landlord has been ordered to pay almost £39,000 in fines and costs for failing to obtain licences for three houses in multiple occupancy (HMOs).
Harishbhai Rambhai Patel was prosecuted by Leicester City Council and pleaded guilty to 12 offences under the Housing Act 2004 relating to the three unlicensed houses in the Highfields area of Leicester.
Magistrates fined Patel £10,000 for each of the three houses. He was also fined £500 for failing to produce necessary documents and a further £4,000 for eight breaches of the Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (England) Regulations 2006.
On top of that magistrates ordered Patel to pay £4,124.15 in legal costs, along with a £120 victim surcharge. In total, he will have to pay £38,744.15.
Environmental health officers from the council visited two of Patel’s properties in Evington Street following a fire at 11 Evington Street in May last year. They discovered neither house met the fire safety standards needed.
Officers visited the third property, in Gopsall Street, in September following a complaint. They found it had a faulty fire detection system, damaged fire doors, torn carpets, cracked plaster and broken windows. Ten people were living there at the time.
The council said Patel had since carried out repairs to bring the property up to the correct standard and officials are dealing with his application to get a licence for the house.
Leicester assistant mayor for neighborhood services Councillor Sarah Russell said: "Proper licensing for HMOs is there to ensure the safety of residents and landlords who fail to do so are putting tenants at risk. As this case shows, landlords face prosecution and heavy fines if they fail to comply with the laws – laws which have been put in place for good reason, to ensure that multiple-occupancy homes are in a fit state"
No comments:
Post a Comment