Four Court Cases Of HMO Criminal Offences

Overcrowded

Shared house landlord Javeed Hossain crammed ten tenants into a home licensed for six to safely live while ignoring fire safety measures. Magistrates at Uxbridge, Hillingdon, West London, fined him £11,000 for breaking house in multiple occupation licensing and safety rules. He was also ordered to pay costs of £1,004. Hillingdon Council cabinet member for planning Councillor Keith Burrows branded Hossain an ‘unscrupulous landlord’ and claimed that he had risked the lives of his tenants.

“He put greed before their welfare by cramming too many people into the house and pocketing the rent. I am pleased that the courts have imposed such a heavy fine on Hossain, reflecting the seriousness of his offences," he said.

Unlicensed HMO

Pensioner Peter Hall, 76, admitted renting out a house in multiple occupation (HMO) without a licence and failing to provide an electrical safety certificate for the home at Blackpool Magistrates Court. From Bury, Lancashire, Hall owned a block of nine flats on Blackpool’s South Promenade, which he has now sold. The property was visited three times in 2014 by housing officers from Fylde Council, and Hall could not show them an HMO licence or electrical safety certificate on any of the visits. Hall was fined £6,000 and ordered to pay £4,620 costs.

Unsafe home

Landlord Balwinder Singh Dhadwal ignored a council order not to let an HMO in Stourbridge, Dudley, West Midlands, after housing officers declared the home unsafe for tenants. The house lacked smoke detectors and had electrical defects and issues with dampness and mould. Dhadwal, 60, admitted five HMO management offences and one of breaking the prohibition order at Dudley Magistrates Court. He was fined £6,390 and told to pay £1,310 costs.

Arrest warrant

Landlord Victor Robbins was landed with a bill of £3,500 in fines and £580 in costs from Southend Magistrates Court, Essex, for failing to fix a leaking flat roof. At an earlier hearing, Robbins was ordered to pay £1,604 to Southend on Sea Council for works carried out at the Westcliff on sea flat on his behalf. He was also fined £2,500 with £790 costs. The court heard this money was unpaid, and a warrant had been issued for Robbins’ arrest.