29th
Jul 2021
A rogue landlord ‘housed’ vulnerable tenants in a converted car garage without windows, proper fire safety measures, washing facilities and has been slapped with a criminal conviction and a court fine of around £10,000.
Thames Magistrates Court was told of how Mehmet Gurcuoglu - director of Golden Motors on Andre Street in Hackney Downs, London rented out a ‘converted’ decrepit outbuilding of the railway arch car wash and tyre workshop to private tenants. The property’s bedrooms did not have any natural light, there were hazardous electrics throughout and a kitchen with just cold water.
The unlawful premises also contained tyres that had been stacked up to the ceiling which blocked escape routes, so all tenants lives were put in serious danger of their lives in case of any type of emergency.
Tyres are extremely flammable as well as the escape route would be filled in the case of fire with toxic gases., The only one battery operated smoke alarm was covered by plastic sheeting with no chance of the tenants being able to hear it.
In 2019 police along with Hackney council officers raided the property with the landlord removing the tenants from the life threatening property and then the raid party officials undertook legal action.
In June the rogue landlord Gurcuoglu, entered a plea of guilty to renting out a privately unlicensed HMO, he also admitted to five breaches of management regulations and was fined £8,992.
Councillor Sem Moema, head of housing, stated: “This is one of the most atrocious cases of mistreatment of private tenants we have seen in Hackney, with the landlord putting lives at risk by placing people in conditions that simply aren’t meant for living in” claims Councillor Sem Moema, responsible for housing on the local authority.
“But while this is an extreme example of criminal behaviour, it’s also a symptom of the wider housing shortage and a poorly regulated private rented sector that encourages landlords to let out poor quality homes at often extortionate rents.
“Our crackdown shows that we’ll take whatever action we can to tackle those who don’t play by the rules – while we continue our campaign for better renting and a fairer system for tenants, starting with a ban on unfair evictions and measures to ensure genuinely affordable rent levels.”
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