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Breach of HMO rules leads to costs of almost £6,000
A landlord has been fined and left with a bill of nearly £6,000 for overcrowding at his property with an illegal number of tenants.
South Kesteven District Council prosecuted Sanjay Patel under House of Multiple Occupancy legislation for his property in Grantham. He has now pleaded guilty to the offence under the Housing Act 2004.
In July 2014 an inspection of the property was carried out and it was found that there were six persons in five households in residence despite the landlord’s HMO licence only permitting five persons in four households.
By September 2014, Patel had reduced the number of persons residing at the property to the permitted five – but in January 2015 the property was re-inspected and found to be overcrowded again with six occupants in the house.
Patel was left with a £6,300 fine, deducted by a third for an early guilty plea to £4,200. He also has to pay £1,453.67 costs and a £120 victim surcharge totalling a bill of £5,773.67.
