Even with the new HMO laws looming on the horizon, there are still many landlords across the UK who are struggling with the existing ones.
A landlord in North East Lincolnshire has just been hit with a fine of £1,300 after being found to be letting an HMO without a licence.
Yordan Kaloyanov, from Immingham, was prosecuted by North East Lincolnshire Council, following an inspection by council’s regeneration partner ENGIE of a three-storey, five-bedroomed house, which was found to be home to several people. The property failed to meet the basic safety standards required of an HMO, and was thus issued with an Emergency Prohibition Act is September 2017, requiring him to carry out urgent remedial works.
The breaches included:
- No interlinked fire alarms
- No evidence that fire alarms worked
- No evidence that the fire alarms had been tested
- No fire doors, intumescent strips or self-closuring arms on the kitchen or bedroom doors
- No emergency lighting
- No thumb-turn locks on exit doors
- No emergency contact details provided for the manager or owner of the property
A large number of local people rely on rented accommodation and landlords are expected to uphold high standards. Unlicensed and poorly maintained houses are not acceptable. Not only are they exploitative in nature, they could also put people’s lives at risk. The council wants to work with landlords to ensure that they are on the right side of the law. If landlords are unsure of what they should be providing for their tenants, they can contact our housing team via our website for more information.
Portfolio holder for housing councillor Peter Wheatley
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