Landlord banned after shoe-horning dozen people into illegal property

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A landlord has been banned for allowing 12 people to live in his unlicensed HMO that was branded a fire risk.

Ashiq Rasul has been removed from the landlord register in Scotland after Glasgow City Council’s licensing committee heard the eight-bedroom property in Paisley Road West (main picture) was inspected by fire service and council officials, who discovered exposed wiring.

They also found a lack of smoke alarms, doors with padlocks and had concerns over the condition of the boiler and gas hob, reports the BBC.

Committee chair Alex Wilson said the landlord had made “glaring errors” and told Rasul: “It looks as if you have just shoehorned people into this property and it’s not fit for purpose.”

Concerns

Wilson (pictured) added: “There are items identified on inspection which are massive causes for concerns, where you’ve got exposed wiring. That was a recipe for disaster. You could have easily had a fire in that property.”

When a council official made an unannounced inspection, Rasul, who would occasionally stay at the flat, failed to identify himself and maintained he was a friend of the landlord.

The official added that no legionella risk assessment, proof of building insurance or information on tenancy deposits had been provided. A suspension of rent order was issued in February.

Rasul’s son claimed most of the work had been carried out, and that a gas safety and electrical report had now been provided to the council.

He told the committee: “It’s mostly students in there, they’ve been getting their pals over. Whenever we go over, the pals are just stopping for a wee bit, that’s what we’ve been told. They’re going to leave, but they end up staying.”

Read more: The Complete Guide to renting an HMO.

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