HMO landlord fined £3,000 for letting unsafe house

Rogue landlord:

A year-long pursuit by Worcester Council led to a nearly £3,000 fine for an HMO landlord.

Mohammed Rafiq had repeatedly failed to install proper safety measures in his property after having been warned by the Council on numerous occasions.

Rafiq was fined £2,783 by Worcester Magistrates Court for operating an unlicensed house of multiple occupation (HMO) in Canterbury Road in Worcester and for failing to install specified fire safety equipment.

He had been letting the property without a mandatory licence since November 2018 at which time the Council had embarked on a lengthy process of enforcement ending in Worcester Magistrates Court.

Rafiq was sentence in his absence having failed to attend court.

He was found guilty of the charges against him which included failure to obtain a licence, failing to fit firefighting equipment, having insufficient fire alarms, no emergency lighting or self-closing fire doors, and failing to have his details on display inside the property – name, address and contact details, which is a requirement for all HMOs.

Councillor James Stanley, chairman of the city council’s communities committee, said:

“The majority of landlords in Worcester abide by the law but as this case demonstrates, the city council won’t hesitate to act in cases where landlords exploit tenants, provide dangerous or substandard accommodation or flout their legal obligations.

“I would urge any Worcester residents who are facing difficulties with their tenancy or have concerns about an HMO to contact the city council’s housing team for advice and support.”

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