Landlord fined for letting unlicensed property

A company has been handed a hefty fine by Islington Council for letting an unlicensed flat in the north London borough.

Landhouse Ltd has pleaded guilty to operating a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) which should have been licensed. 

The company was fined £12,700 and ordered to pay legal costs of £1,320 as well as a victim surcharge of £120.

The property, situated on Holloway Road, was visited by Environmental Health Officers who found it to be overcrowded, poorly managed and containing several evident fire hazards.

“With more and more people renting privately, we’re committed to helping residents make sure they have decent homes to live in,” said Councillor Diarmaid Ward, Islington Council's executive member for housing and development.

“The majority of landlords act entirely within the law, but we will pursue and take action against those who don’t," he added.

Ward went on to urge landlords with concerns about property licensing to contact the council confidentially for advice and support.

Last September, the council extended its HMO licensing requirements to cover all HMOs on Holloway Road and Caledonian Road (including all rented properties occupied by three or more people in more than one household and converted properties.)

It says the new measures were introduced after research unearthed a trend of poor management of rental properties on both streets.

Earlier this year Islington Council fined two landlords over £100,000 for continually letting a property which had been converted without planning permission.

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