Landlords Face Fines and Bans for HMO Licence Breaches

Landlords are facing a nationwide crackdown by councils enforcing shared house licenses. Councillors in Leeds have just taken the 16th landlord to court in as many months for failing to apply for a selective house in multiple occupation (HMO) licence. Mohammed Ishtiaque pleaded guilty to renting a house without a licence at Leeds Magistrates Court. He claimed he had not appreciated the matter was so serious and kept overlooking his application due to having to attend to his mother who was ill in Pakistan. The magistrates fined Ishtiaque £1,050 together with costs of £1,083. Cllr Peter Gruen, Leeds City Council executive board member for neighbourhoods and housing said: “The cost of the selective licence is £525 which equates to approximately £2 per week over the five year licence period. “Mr Ishtiaque has paid dearly for his avoidance of the selective licensing regime, as having to licence his property has now cost him over £2,650. This is a further example of why landlords should ensure that their properties are properly licensed, for the good of themselves and their tenants.” Meanwhile, their counterparts in Edinburgh have revealed the city is considering court action against 10 landlords for HMO licence breaches. Courts have convicted four more landlords in the city of HMO offences in the past eight months. Councillor Colin Keir, convener of the council's regulatory committee, said the cases sent out a clear message to rogue landlords. He said: "Failure to license or register properties is not acceptable. These laws are in place to ensure that properties are safe and well-managed. Landlords who fail to abide by the law cause misery for many through unsafe and poorly managed properties. "Everyone has the right to a decent standard of living in a safe and secure home and landlords should make sure they provide this.” Many other councils have also successfully prosecuted landlords for HMO problems. Among the latest was a landlord who lost an appeal against a council ban stopping the renting of flats to tenants until fire safety work is completed. East Lindsey District Council took action against Sathavahana Vaddaram, who owns four buy to let flats in Witham Road, Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire, for not providing a fire escape from one flat and for failing to install fire and smoke detection equipment in the others.

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Jennifer Leonard

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