A buy-to-let landlord who crammed at least seven people into a two-bedroom flat has been ordered to pay almost £3,000 by a court.

Saleem Hakim was successfully prosecuted by Hull City Council after she allowed people to live in overcrowded conditions at a flat in Albany Street, Hull, HU3.

Officers from Hull City Council found at least seven people living in a two-bedroom flat owned by Hakim when they first visited the property in August 2017.

The landlord was issued with a suspended prohibition order by the council, giving her time to comply with the regulations but, after a couple more visits, the officers found that the flat was still overcrowded, leaving the council with little alternative but to take Hakim to court.

Hull Magistrates’ Court found Hakim guilty of two offences of failing to comply with a suspended prohibition order in his absence and was charged £2,825 in council costs, fine and a victim surcharge for failure to reduce occupancy levels at the flat.

Cllr John Black, portfolio holder for housing at Hull City Council, commented: “Anybody taking on the role of landlord needs to be fully aware of their responsibilities under the law.

“The council has a duty to protect private sector tenants in poorly maintained properties and this proves that we take our role seriously.

“We tried to work with the landlord to reach a satisfactory conclusion but the actions required to make the property safe remained uncompleted.

“I hope this prosecution will send out a message to landlords that they need to act within the law or face the consequences.”