FINES: Repeat offender to pay £49,000 over HMO safety failures

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A management company has been ordered to pay out more than £49,000 for fire safety failures at an HMO.

Monsoon Properties Ltd admitted breaches relating to a range of issues at the flat in London’s Tavistock Place, including inadequate fire detection system, obstructions to the means of escape, defective fire doors, defective oven and hob and smashed wall tiles.

Highbury Corner Magistrates Court fined the firm £10,000 for each breach of regulations, as well as costs of £7,020 and a £12,000 surcharge.

Camden Councillor Meric Apak (pictured), the borough’s cabinet member for better homes, says it isn’t the first time Monsoon Properties has been prosecuted.

He adds: “They should know – as should all landlords and management companies in Camden – that we will not hesitate to take landlords who we suspect are breaking the law to court. We will also seek to ban bad landlords. Our record of securing seven banning orders against rogue landlords is more than any other council in England.”

Penalties

The council’s recent cases include financial penalty notices issued against additional HMO licence holder Roukshana Begum and letting agents Snayders Limited.

Begum failed to comply with several licence conditions including the schedule of works required to ensure the property complies with Camden’s minimum HMO standards.

An undersized room was allowed to be re-occupied and a copy of the licence was not displayed in the property, which wasn’t kept in reasonable repair; it had a blocked wash hand basin and leak under the bath. There was also a failure to carry out fire safety works, to install wash hand basins and additional sockets in bedrooms.

The property has now been re-inspected by the council and most of the issues have been resolved.

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