Countrywide prosecutions for criminal landlords

Published by Max Salsbury for 24dash.com in Housing and also in Legal

Criminal landlords have been prosecuted in two different parts of the country.

Cousins Tahir Nasim, 37, and Khurum Eusaff Choudhry, 30, pleaded guilty at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court yesterday to failing to hold a HMO licence for their property on South Road, Erdington.

The pair also pleaded guilty to seven breaches of the HMO Management Regulations at their property.

Evidence presented by Birmingham City Council to the court showed a catalogue of dangers at the property including:

• a ceiling in the house in danger of collapsing
• inoperable smoke alarms
• the landlords running the property without an official HMO licence
• inadequate fire precautions in the property.

Council officers began investigating the property in 2008, but gaining hard evidence and access to the property proved difficult as the tenants appeared to be discouraged from allowing officers access into the property.

In July 2012 officers were contacted by tenants complaining about the conditions.

Witness statements were provided confirming the landlords were operating the property without a HMO licence.

Both offenders were each fined £4,000, a victim surcharge of £15 and costs of £1,026.

Jacqui Kennedy, the council's director of regulation and enforcement, said: “Rogue landlords will not be tolerated in Birmingham. Our officers worked hard on this case and will continue to bring irresponsible landlords to justice and protect tenants."

Meanwhile, a Cardiff landlord has also been prosecuted after pleading guilty to a range of housing offences.

Cardiff Council officers found that the property on Bedford Street, Plasnewydd was in very poor condition inside and out, and that it was not being managed effectively by the owner Zahid Amin, during an August 2012 inspection.

Mr Amin pleaded guilty to failing to comply with a number of requirements under the Management of Houses in Multiple Occupancy (Wales) Regulations 2006.

He was fined £1,860 and ordered to pay the council’s costs of £360 and a £15 victim surcharge.

Cabinet Member for Housing in Cardiff Cllr Lynda Thorne said: “We take the health and safety of tenants in privately rented properties very seriously and will intervene where we consider housing conditions to be unacceptable.

“Through our work with Cardiff’s Landlord Forum we provide advice and support to landlords, both potential and existing, to help them comply with the law and understand what is required from them."