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Rogue landlord fined £40,000 over ‘dangerous’ and unlicensed HMO
A landlord has been hit with a record fine for letting out a house in multiple occupation (HMO) which was both unlicensed and dangerous.
Julie Churchill of Newport, Lincoln was responsible for an unlicensed HMO which also failed to comply with a number of safety standards set out by the Housing Act 2004.
The property was missing fire doors, had no working fire alarm on the ground floor, and three bedroom doors which could be locked by a padlock.
The court was told that in the event of a fire, the lack of warning systems and containment measures would have left the tenants at “extreme risk”.
In addition, one of the occupied bedrooms was smaller than the legal minimum size for an adult, while the kitchen did not have adequate facilities for seven tenants.
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The court was told that putting these issues right may have cost Churchill just £6,000.
When the property was inspected, it was discovered that seven unrelated immigrants were living in the four bedrooms of the property. They spoke little English and were unaware of their rights, having received no tenancy agreement, rent book or rent receipt during their tenancy, with only two even knowing what the landlord’s name was.
Churchill was found to be bringing in up to £1,480 per month in rent from the property.
In its sentencing statement, the magistrates said that Churchill had “endangered lives” by failing to adhere to fire safety regulations, adding: “Ms Churchill could easily have remedied these defects months if not years ago.”
Councillor Donald Nannestad, portfolio holder for quality housing at City of Lincoln Council, said the council was engaged in an “ongoing battle to crack down on rogue landlords”.
He added: “This property was dangerous and as a council, we will not allow landlords to ignore their legal responsibilities, even if they refuse to engage with us.”