A Norfolk landlord and his company Ambreen Properties has been fined £30,000 by South Norfolk Council after breaching multiple housing regulations.
Ambreen Properties and its owner, Jubayer Rimon, were both found guilty of failing to licence an HMO and breaches of management regulations in respect of HMOs.
Council officers proved the landlord was operating without the required HMO licence, with up to 17 people residing in the four-bedroom terraced property in Diss, Norfolk, which put the occupants’ health, safety and wellbeing at risk.
The council was first alerted about the case in July 2022, and over the next four months, undertook an in-depth investigation involving the Norfolk Police, housing department, and other government agencies.
Between July and December 2022, the authorities carried out several property visits, which revealed overcrowding despite legal notices and other interventions.
One of the visits in December discovered 17 people were staying at the property with some sleeping on mattresses on the floor.
Two of the occupiers requested to be removed due to the fear of being exploited and were taken into the care of Norfolk Police.
In January 2023, four civil penalties were served upon both Ambreen Properties and the owner which were challenged by the company, leading to a lengthy legal process which resulted in all four offences being secured in the council’s favour and a total fine of £30,000.
Cllr Graham Minshull, South Norfolk cabinet member for supporting people, commented: “The council will not tolerate sub-standard accommodation which puts the lives of residents at risk.
“HMOs, when run responsibly, offer much needed low-cost and safe accommodation for residents — however, this property was not built for multiple occupation and there were clear safety issues including overcrowding, fire risks and use of limited facilities.
“The safety of our residents is paramount, and we will not hesitate to take enforcement action when required.”
