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Bedford Landlord Fined For Unlicensed HMO

Bedford landlord has been prosecuted for operating an unlicensed House in Multiple Occupation (HMO).

Bedford Borough Council prosecuted Mr Fhalora of Ampthill Road, Bedford, in January for failing to obtain an Additional HMO Licence for the property that he manages on behalf of its owner. Mr Fhalora lets out the Brackley Road property to tenants.

The landlord was found guilty in his absence after entering a not guilty plea. As a result of this, he was fined £2,500 by Luton Magistrates Court. He was also told that he must pay the council’s full costs of £8,911.12 along with a victim surcharge of £170.

Bedford Borough Council introduced the Additional HMO Licensing scheme in 2013. It applies to properties rented out to three or more unrelated tenants who share facilities such as kitchens and bathrooms. These types of properties are subject to additional regulation to give greater protection to tenants who reside in them. The licences require landlords to invest in their properties, making them safer and improving their state of repair.

Mr Fhalora had been reminded by the council’s Community Regulation Team that he was required to license the property under the Housing Act 2004. However, the court heard that the rogue landlord had failed to act on the advice he was given by the council. He potentially risked the safety of his tenants and neglected his responsibilities as a landlord.

Portfolio Holder for Community Safety & Regulatory Services, Councillor Colleen Atkins, said: ‘Bedford Borough Council prioritises the safety of its residents by ensuring the Borough’s private rented sector is effectively regulated. An Additional HMO Licence is required for HMOs which are occupied by three or more unrelated people who share certain facilities in the household such as a kitchen or bathrooms. Anyone who owns or manages an HMO can check with the Council to see if they need to have a licence.’

Source: Residential Landlord

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Operating unlicensed HMO costs Bedford landlord more than £11K

A landlord has been prosecuted by Bedford Borough Council for operating an unlicensed HMO (House in Multiple Occupation) in the Bedford area.

Mr Fhalora of Ampthill Road, Bedford, was charged on January 3 with failing to obtain an Additional HMO Licence for the property that he manages on behalf of the owner and leases to tenants in Brackley Road.

Mr Fhalora was found guilty in his absence after entering a not guilty plea. As a result, Luton Magistrates Court fined him £2,500. Mr Fhalora was also ordered to pay the council’s full costs of £8,911.12 along with a victim surcharge of £170.

The court heard Mr Fhalora had been reminded by the council’s Community Regulation Team that he was required to licence the property under the Housing Act 2004. However, he failed to act on the advice given, potentially putting the safety of the tenants at risk and showing wilful neglect of his responsibilities as a landlord.

Councillor Colleen Atkins, Portfolio Holder for Community Safety & Regulatory Services said: “Bedford Borough Council prioritises the safety of its residents by ensuring the Borough’s private rented sector is effectively regulated.

An Additional HMO Licence is required for HMOs which are occupied by three or more unrelated people who share certain facilities in the household such as a kitchen or bathrooms.

Anyone who owns or manages an HMO can check with the Council to see if they need to have a licence.” Bedford Borough Council introduced an Additional HMO Licensing scheme in 2013 for properties rented out to three or more unrelated occupiers who share facilities such as kitchens and bathrooms.

These types of properties are subject to further regulation to give greater protection to tenants as these licences require landlords to invest in their properties, making them safer and in a better state of repair Landlords or tenants requiring further information or clarification regarding HMO Licensing requirements should contact the HMO Licensing Team on (01234) 718099 or refer to the council’s website at: www.bedford.gov.uk/multipleoccupation

Source: Bedford Today

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Agents claimed to be sub-letting home as HMO without landlord’s knowledge fined nearly £40,000

A letting agency and several of its personnel who were involved in renting a property in order to then sub-let it as a HMO without the landlords’ knowledge have been slapped with fines totalling tens of thousands of pounds.

Easy Let Agency in Brent, London, whose personnel also operate under the name Focus Property Management Ltd, has been prosecuted at Willesden Magistrates Court for licensing and housing offences.

Both firms and several individuals associated with the businesses have been handed penalties in two separate court hearings last month, according to Brent Council.

In the first case, the owners of a five-bedroom terrace house in Gowan Road, Willesden, rented out their property to Claudio Crisafulli who was working as a freelance estate agent for Easy Let.

Crisafulli then illegally sub-let the house as an HMO behind his landlords’ backs.

Neighbours in Gowan Road complained to Brent Council about lots of people coming and going from the property.

Investigating officers found it difficult to track down the people responsible because Easy Let Agency was listed under a false address.

Easy Let company director Marcio Da Silva was fined £2,000 for failure to licence and a further £2,000 for breach of management regulations as well as £1,670 in costs on January 25.

Fellow director, Marcio Auriello Do Prado, was fined £3,000 for failure to license and £3,000 for breach of management regulations alongside £1,670 fines.

Claudio Crisafulli was fined £400 for failure to license and £400 for a breach of management regulations on top of £40 costs.

The agency itself was also hit with a £5,000 fine and £170 in costs.

The total fines and costs for the case amounted to £19,180.

In a separate sentence hearing on January 30, Focus Property Management Ltd was fined a total of £20,229 for management regulation and licensing breaches for another rented property in Tower Road, Willesden Green.

The matter is still subject to court proceedings and so few further details are available.

Cllr Harbi Farah, cabinet member for housing and welfare reform, said: “We will pursue estate agents and sub-letters who operate outside the law all the way to court.

“Sadly, we have seen that rogue operators in the private rented sector disrupt neighbourhoods and make tenants’ lives a misery.

“Brent Council will do everything to improve the standard of living in Brent.”

Source: Property Industry Eye

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HMO landlord fined for 32 offences at Wolverhampton flats

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Harbhajan Singh Dhami admitted failing to put right 32 housing offences at a HMO (house in multiple occupation) in Merridale Lane, Wolverhampton.

Fire hazards, electrical issues, damp and a large pile of waste were all found at the property when council inspectors visited in June.

That inspection followed confirmation that no approval had been sought for the conversion of the property to flats, therefore confirming it was a HMO and should be regulated under the HMO regulations.

The property consisted of two sets of flats – 11 flats in total of which seven were being lived in.

Dhami – of Ednam Road, Wolverhampton – and his company Dhami Accommodation Ltd, received fines, charges and costs totalling £33,995, at Wolverhampton Magistrates Court.

District Judge Murray said: “Mr Dhami was a good landlord, with the exception of this property, where the issues of disrepair go back longer than the summons period.

“Mr Dhami blamed the tenants for the damage to the property but accepted that the tenants in the property were vulnerable and therefore the duty of care that he owed to his tenants was much greater.

“From the company accounts provided to the court it was clear that the company had made a substantial profit and the judge had to consider the totality of the offending.

“He said that while Mr Dhami would be given credit for his guilty plea he would be sentenced on the high risk involved.

“It was clear that the property was a high fire risk and that candles were being used at the property which also had loose wiring.

 “The fact that one of the walls was separating from the structure leaving a gap, together with the blocked means of escape, missing banisters, an inoperative fire alarm system and disconnected smoke detectors created a risk of smoke penetration and injury in the event of a fire

“Apart from the fire risk the damp throughout the property posed a risk to health.

“There had been a lack of compliance from Mr Dhami when council officers had required him to correct these problems and a lack of response when he was given the opportunity to do so.”

Councillor Peter Bilson, deputy leader and cabinet member for city assets and housing, said: “We are determined to bring to task landlords who are not complying with housing laws and building regulations.

“Our residents’ health and wellbeing is of paramount importance to us and this case should act as a lesson to all landlords in the private sector.

“Thankfully, the majority of landlords in Wolverhampton abide by the rules and regulations and co-operate with the council.

“The council takes very seriously its commitment to monitoring the private housing sector and we will continue to do so to ensure tenants’ living standards are of the highest quality.”

Source: Express and Star