14th
Feb 2025
A landlord who failed to licence a House of Multiple Occupation (HMO) and violated fire safety standards has been ordered to pay substantial fines.
The case against the landlord Hajra Mehmood was brought before Reading Magistrates’ Court.
The illegal property first came to the attention of Slough Council in 2023 which led to a warrant being issued in September of that year to investigate claims of it being an unlicensed HMO.
Officers uncovered multiple violations of the HMO management regulations.
The property lacked a functional fire alarm system and the means of escape in case of a fire were inadequate. Additionally, there were no fire doors installed in the bedrooms, or those that existed were in poor condition and unlikely to offer 30 minutes of fire resistance. Furthermore, there was insufficient fireproofing between floors, increasing the risk of rapid fire spread.
It also had no contact information displayed for tenants to report issues to the owner.
Inspectors discovered that a bathroom had been constructed in a brick shed in the garden which tenants had to use. This bathroom had poorly fitting doors and windows which could not be closed properly.
The property owner was formally asked to provide the council with details about the ownership, management, and number of occupants, but these requests were ignored. She also failed to respond to a formal request for copies of tenancy agreements and other related documentation.
The violations pertain to multiple legal provisions: Section 72(1) of the Housing Act 2004 (renting out a licensable HMO property without a licence); HMO Management Regulations 2006, regulations 3, 4, and 7 (concerning fire safety, property maintenance, and providing tenant information); Section 235 of the Housing Act 2004 (failure to provide requested documents); and Section 16 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 (failure to supply requested information).
In court, the landlord was convicted on eight charges but was acquitted of one charge concerning the garden.
- Offence 1 – Failing to licence HMO – £1,000 fine.
- Offence 2 – Failing to show name and address – £500 fine.
- Offences 3 – 6 – Management Regulations (fire safety) – £2,000 fine for each offence.
- Offence 8 – Failing to provide documents – £500 fine.
- Offence 9 – Failing to provide documents – No separate penalty.
In total, she was ordered to pay fines amounting to £9,000 and additional costs of £5,556.37.
A council spokesperson says: “Tenants deserve to live in conditions which are safe and habitable and there is no excuse for landlords to abandon their legal duties. Let this be a warning to others to check they are meeting all their obligations, and if not, take immediate action to avoid appearing in court themselves and facing huge financial penalties.”
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