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Landlord who kept 23 people in overcrowded conditions fined £7,500

A landlord in Ilford, Essex, who allowed 23 people to live in overcrowded conditions has been fined £7,500.

Tenants in a house of multiple occupancy (HMO) in Beehive Lane, Gants Hill were forced to live in the property, which was licensed to house only six people, without adequate cooking, washing and toilet facilities.

Enforcement officers from Redbridge Council investigated the property after neighbours complained about overcrowding in June last year.

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They found 16 people, plus evidence of a further seven living there. 

Marvel Estates Limited of 367 Katherine Road, Forest Gate, which managed the HMO, has agreed to pay the civil penalty fine to Redbridge Council following a central London tribunal.

Cllr Farah Hussain, Redbridge Council’s cabinet member for housing, said: “We are determined to root out rogue landlords and this financial penalty makes that clear.  It is unacceptable for tenants to be living in conditions which fail to comply with legislated requirements.

“We want to work with landlords to prevent this kind of situation but if they are not willing to do so, our message is clear – we will find and fine you.”

Want to comment on this story? If so...if any post is considered to victimise, harass, degrade or intimidate an individual or group of individuals on any basis, then the post may be deleted and the individual immediately banned from posting in future.

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    “Tenants in a house of multiple occupancy (HMO) in Beehive Lane, Gants Hill were forced to live in the property”

    Maybe they chose to live in this house maybe they liked the idea of cheap rent. Maybe this is an improvement on where they came from.
    Now Redbridge Council have to rehouse 23 people at whose expense?

    Who allows them here - government
    Lack of housing - government

    Who’s now paying for it - General public

    So Cllr Farrah Hussain I hope you pleased with your £7500 fine from the landlord/agent. You’ve just cost the taxpayer more money. You all might not agree with me but it’s true

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    Just consider the state this house probably would have been in, 23 people using one kitchen and maybe only one bathroom, it'd be horrendous.
    I can't imagine anyone would live in such conditions unless it was their only option.
    Whether the Local Authority have to rehouse these people is irrelevant, the outcome of not doing so could have been far worse.
    The landlord here has been profiting from exploitation and flagrant disregard of the law, I'd suggest a fine of £7500 was still probably getting off lightly.

     
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    most cllrs are really dumb--i worked with some

     
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    But did he rent to 23 people, do all 23 people pay rent to him, are all 23 people on the tenancy agreement ? or did they all move in with their mates.

     
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    Both above posts raise valid points but living near this house must have been a nightmare, and the neighbours were certainly forced to do so, even if the tenants weren't. I think the fine is ludicrously small and not even a criminal conviction, just a civil penalty like a parking ticket.

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    Let me be clear on this I’d be proper annoyed with 23 people living next door to me in this way as well. What I’m saying is

    What do you do with these people? Where do they go?
    Do these people as individuals have the option to rent a house and live as a couple or by themselves? Yes they do but they choose not to!! Why?
    You then have people saying exploitation so give me your solution?

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    Its more rubbish how can a LL force them to live there did he have a gun. How many was on the Tenancy Agreement once again you didn’t tell us. The truth of the matter is he is powerless to stop it, the Authorities having made laws to make sure he can do nothing, I’ll chalk this one up as another miscarriage of justice, again no action taken against the people committing the offence, was the LL in receipt of 17 additional payments ? never not a penny so if LL hadn’t given them permission or benefited financially he had not committed any offence. I have been in this situation with my 2 hand tied, so he has been fined for people living in his property for free and against his wishes.

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    And the times that happens Michael, presently I have a lady in a 1 bed flat above a shop who now has her toy boy living with her, so no offence there but the fact remains I rented to one person and now there are 2 there, I also have a guy in a 3 bed house who now has a lodger, once again no offence committed and really nothing I can do about it other than to turn a blind eye , so I can see how these things happen and nothing to do with the landlord, but he's the one that gets fined for it.

     
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    I had it all without go into detail and Council says they are entitled to have guests putting you on back foot, we have to be careful what we say because anything you say in your favour will be taken down and used as evidence against you.

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    It was licensed for 6 persons so we have to accept it was let to 6 persons max’ which is plausible for Terraced or Semi-Detached if bigger property it would be licensed for more looks like £1800. pm for this area. Hypothetically say if they were paying £5.00 pd x 17 additional occupants to some Boss man that’s £2’500. pm so very likely someone making more than landlord (with no loan to pay or consequences ) maybe Rent 2 Rent got the idea from them. I live in the real World and if I go to car wash half a dozen swarm around the car I think to myself where can you be living, what they charge is a pittance when divided between them, not knocking them for the situation they find themselves and to be fair they work their socks off.

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    Barry it will be in some state as you say for sure. However they will have second kitchen or second lot of cooks facilities probably in a separate area if main kitchen is small because of space sizes, They will also have a second bathroom or on suite at least with second separate toilet as a requirement to get a License for a, 6 persons HMO.

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