10th
Dec 2024
A rogue landlord has been sentenced for converting a bungalow into an illegal House in Multiple Occupation (HMO).
The sentencing follows the discovery of a three-bedroom bungalow in Egham, Surrey, which had been illegally transformed into a 15-room unlicensed HMO.
Runnymede council officers were first made aware of the situation by anonymous tip-offs about the number of occupants.
According to the council, landlord Mona Jetwani and her brother initially became aggressive and threatened to lodge complaints when officers were stopped from entering the property. Subsequently, staff applied for a warrant to gain entry to the building.
When gaining entrance to the property, officials discovered that "shoddy construction methods" had been used to create 15 spaces including four in the loft area. Further investigation revealed that some of these rooms were as small as 3.48 square metres, well below the regulated acceptable size for HMO rooms, which is 6.51 square metres.
Among the fire safety concerns, council staff noted an insufficient number of smoke alarms, "none of which were interlinked," and large gaps in some of the rooms’ plasterboard partitions which is dangerous and inadequate fire separation.
The officers also faound a fridge placed under the stairs that posed a fire hazard in what the council described as "a protected means of escape for occupants in the event of a fire."
It is understood that Jetwani agreed to carry out remedial work and “a small number of basic changes had been attempted” after council intervention.
She later admitted to 10 charges against her under the Housing Act 2004, including operating an HMO without a mandatory licence; for not providing a gas safety report; failing to comply with fire safety regulations; and failing to comply with a number of regulation requirements relating to the size of the rooms, access to washing facilities, and more.
Jetwani was ordered to pay a fine of £12,000 and a victim surcharge of £2,000. The council reports that the initial fine was £18,000 but was reduced due to Jetwani’s early guilty plea.
A council spokesperson stated that the bungalow was in an “appalling state”.
“Our environmental health staff cannot remember another incident where a landlord had tried to profit to this extent. People’s lives have been put at risk because of these living conditions and a family home was turned into a cash cow.
“People running HMOs need to do so within the rules for good reason. This prosecution came about through anonymous tip-offs, and we would absolutely encourage anyone else who believes an HMO is being run dangerously or without a licence to contact us. It took over a year to deal with this case, but we do not give up when safety is at risk.
“The majority of landlords operate their properties within the law, but the sentence in this case should be a wake-up call to the few who do not, wherever in the borough they are.”
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