Brent Council inspected the property in Harlesden, North London, following reports of disrepair from a tenant. They discovered a range of potential safety problems, such as ventilation issues and a broken electric heater, and issued improvement notices to the landlord, Kevin McLoughlin of Hertfordshire.
These notices, issued in June 2023, mandated that essential repairs should be carried out by August 2023, but a follow-up inspection made clear that no action had been taken. In fact, further hazards were identified, in the form of a faulty fire control panel which officers determined posed a risk to residents in the event of a fire.
McLoughlin was ordered to repair the panel within a week, but a final inspection in September 2023 determined that all notices and instructions had been ignored, with none of the issues addressed.
He was taken to court, where he pleaded guilty for failing to comply with the requirements of an improvement notice. He was fined and ordered to pay costs, at a total of £9,212.50.
Councillor Promise Knight, the cabinet member for housing, homelessness and renters’ reform at Brent Council, said that despite repeated directives, McLoughlin had shown a “complete disregard for the safety and well-being” of his tenants.
She added: “Everyone deserves a safe and comfortable place to live. Rogue landlords in our borough will find themselves facing hefty fines and possibly a criminal conviction. We will use whatever powers we have to hold them to account.”
