Warning to landlords over houses of multiple occupation
Wed, 14 Oct 2009
A private landlord, and two management companies where he is a director, have been fined a total of £32,400 for failing to licence a House of Multiple Occupation and for posing a fire risk to tenants, reports www.residentiallandlord.co.uk.
Camden Council brought the prosecution against Alexander Begun after discovering a property in Hornby Close, Swiss Cottage had missing doors, no fire detection or alarm systems, and no fire doors, which would have allowed a fire to spread quickly and undetected.
The three storey town house was let to seven tenants through the two management companies, BP Associates Limited and Blix Limited. Alexander Begun was named as a Director of both companies.
He and the companies were found guilty of failing to licence the property, eight offences relating to neglecting fire precautions and three other management offences.
Each company was fined a total of £13,800 and Begun was fined £4,800 for his failures as director of each company. The first £5,000 of the total £32,400 must be paid by 29 March 2010.
Cllr Chris Knight, Executive Member, Environment, Camden Council, said: “I am pleased we have successfully prosecuted another landlord failing to meet their duties. The safety of tenants in the borough is a priority for Camden Council, and dangerous or illegal practices that could put a tenant’s life at risk will not be tolerated.”
As the house was let to seven unrelated tenants, and is three storeys high, it required a houses in multiple occupation (HMO) licence. Smart landlords will also make sure it has full landlords insurance and they are completely protected and that is where CIA Insurance can help.
Began and his companies have other HMO licences for properties in Camden. Following these prosecutions, the Council are to consider if the defendants continue to be ‘fit and proper’ persons to hold these licenses.
The case is believed to be the first where defendants have been convicted of 'failure to take measures as are reasonably required to protect the occupiers of the HMO from injury'.
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