A landlord in Wembley has been fined £91,788 for breaches of HMO licensing requirements, after an investigation revealed “appalling” and overcrowded conditions.
Sanjay Patel is the licence holder of the property at Wyld Way in Wembley, a three-storey HMO with six bedrooms, one self-contained unit and an outbuilding.
The outbuilding is self-contained but was not declared on the HMO application and did not form part of the HMO licence. It had the most unsafe living conditions and triggered a complaint from the Metropolitan Police to Brent Council.
Brent Council found serious breaches of the HMO licences and offences relating to safety.
This included no access to keys to open locked windows, broken smoke alarms and the outbuilding — where a couple lived with a four-month-old baby — had no heating or electricity.
This couple and their child have since been referred to the housing options team at the council for further assistance to find suitable accommodation.
Patel’s HMO licence permitted maximum occupancy of seven people at the property, but over 18 people were found to be living there. This included four people sharing one room in the attic.
Convicted on 5th March at Willesden Magistrates Court, Patel was handed a total financial penalty of £91,788.
This included an £87,000 fine, a £2,000 victim surcharge and having to cover £2,788 in prosecution costs.
He is also in the process of being banned and having his licence stripped, and awaiting hearing at the residential property tribunal in April.
“These tenants were subjected to appalling living conditions, but this successful prosecution shows our firm stance against landlords who put profit above safety,” said councillor Fleur Donnelly-Jackson, cabinet member for housing at Brent Council.
“It sends a very clear message that we will not tolerate landlords exploiting tenants and providing unsafe living conditions.
“I want to thank officers who have worked tirelessly on this case to bring Mr Patel to justice.”
