A landlord in Hemel Hempstead was ordered to pay over £45,000 after failing to comply with HMO management regulations and letting out two HMOs without a licence.
Mohammed Ammar Hussain pleaded guilty to several offences relating to two separate properties for failure to apply for an HMO licence, as well as three offences of failing to comply with management duties in relation to property conditions — this included a lack of working fire alarms.
Dacorum Borough Council first discovered the properties in September 2022, with the investigation revealing they were let out illegally as HMOs, and had several hazards to residents.
After the landlord failed to submit licence applications, the council visited the properties again in January last year, when it was discovered that the properties were still operating as unlicenced HMOs, and that the landlord had failed to put right all of the hazards.
Due to these offences, on15th February 2024 at St Albans Magistrates' Court, the landlord was ordered to pay fines of £13,450, a victim surcharge of £2,000 and £29,856 prosecution costs — a total of £45,306.
“We recognise that most landlords are responsible and law abiding, caring deeply about providing the highest standards in their home — however, there is a small minority of landlords who choose not to comply with the law and their tenants suffer as a result,” said cllr Simy Dhyani, portfolio holder for housing and property services at Dacorum Borough Council.
“I’m very proud of the team for achieving this excellent result on behalf of our residents; it demonstrates our Housing Strategy commitment to championing the provision of safe, warm, and dry homes across the borough and putting our residents at the heart of everything we do."
