Dec

Landlord fined over £150,000 for letting with safety hazards…

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Rogue landlord:

A Dudley, Birmingham
landlord have been fined a total of £151,070 by Wolverhampton
Magistrates Court for three breaches of an Emergency Prohibition
Order, served on him in relation to a house of multiple occupation
(HMO).

Landlord Latif
Rehman of Lordswood Road, Birmingham, who has a chequered history
when it comes to letting property, failed to respond to several
notices requiring him to attend to safety defects in his HMO
property.

Council officials
had originally inspected the three-storey, four-bedroom property in
Cole Street, Netherton, after one of Mr Rehman’s tenants complained
to the Council last February.

The official visit
revealed numerous hazards relating to the general security of the
building from intruders, and fire and electrical safety risks. The
officers deemed that these defects posed an imminent risk to the
safety of the building’s occupants.

Notice was served
following the visits, but a re-inspection in April found that
whatever works had been carried out were insufficient to rectify the
safety risks. Fire doors in the property still failed to comply with
regulations, access to the property was not secure and damp was still
present in parts of the property.

Dudley Council’s
private sector housing team pursued the case to court with support
from the Council’s legal services team.

On November 7 Mr
Rehman was fined £50,000 for each offence and ordered to pay £1,000
in costs and £170 victim surcharge.

Alan Lunt, deputy
chief executive at Dudley Council, told Hereford Times:

“Landlords are
not above the law. They must comply with standards to fulfil their
legal responsibility to protect the safety of their tenants.

“This case
demonstrates that we take these cases very seriously and will take
action against anyone failing to fulfil their obligation.”

Dudley Council are
now now considering applying for a rent repayment order and a banning
order against Rehman, who two years ago was ordered to pay in excess
of £340,000 after illegally converting houses into bedsits.

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