A landlord has been ordered to pay £47,330 for failing to licence several rental properties, despite numerous warnings from the council.
Since April 2022, private rented properties in some areas of Durham have been required to be licensed under the Selective Licensing scheme, which was brought in to improve conditions in the PRS.
Peterlee Magistrates’ Court heard that despite landlord Kamran Adil, of Halterburn Close, Gosforth, receiving several written and verbal warnings from Durham County Council reminding him of the legal requirement to apply for a selective licence, he did not have any licence in place for the eight properties he was renting out in Blackhall.
Following an inspection of one of the properties, an officer also found that the Electrical Condition Report for the address had been undertaken by an engineer who was not believed to be competent.
As a result, a Housing Act Notice was served to the landlord, giving him 14 days to provide a copy of a valid electrical report — but no response was received.
Adil was found guilty in his absence of eight counts of failing to licence a property and one count of failing to provide a copy of a valid Electrical Installation Condition Report.
He was fined a total of £45,000, ordered to pay costs of £330, and a victim surcharge of £2,000.
Lynn Hall, strategic housing manager at Durham County Council, commented: "Selective licensing powers exist to help us ensure accommodation is safe and well managed for County Durham residents.
"This case should serve as a stark warning to other landlords and letting agents of the high financial penalty that can be imposed when they ignore the responsibilities of their role."
