One of Bristol’s largest student letting agencies has to pay £5,560 in fines and costs for renting out a shared house without a licence.
The owners of Digs (Bristol) now face some tough decisions as the local council views them as unfit for managing shared houses in the city where the firm runs more than 100 properties.
The firm admitted letting a house in multiple occupation (HMO) in Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol, without a licence at the city’s magistrates court.
The court fined Digs (Bristol) £4,000 and order payment of £1,550 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.
The council has also notified the tenants they can reclaim rent for up to 12 months up to the court date by taking the firm to a Rents Tribunal.
A council spokesman said court result meant the company and its directors were not considered "fit and proper persons" to manage HMOs and could no longer hold any HMO licences.
Cabinet Councillor Anthony Negus, of the council's housing department, said: "This prosecution sends out a clear message that landlords of homes of multiple occupation who fail to abide by the law can expect to face action.
"There is no place in Bristol for rogue landlords. Everyone that lets out a large house of multiple occupation is required to have a licence and to abide by its conditions in order to ensure that their property is safe and fit for purpose.
"Bristol City Council has a good track record of working with landlords and providing them with help and support.
"However, those who choose to operate outside the law should understand that they are liable to prosecution."
Digs (Bristol) has plush offices in The Triangle, Clifton, bristol, one of the city’sd most sought after business addresses.
The firm’s web site advertises that Digs (Bristol) is a specialist provider with more than 1,000 bed spaces available to rent in ‘accredited’ flats and houses.
