A landlord referred to only as ‘Mr Gurung’ has been named by two councils as being penalised £3,000 for an overcrowded HMO.
He was fined £800 and ordered to pay £2,000 costs plus a £200 victim surcharge.
Gurung was prosecuted following an investigation by officers from the Public Protection Partnership - a joint service by Bracknell Forest council and West Berkshire council.
The PPP did an unannounced visit to a property in January 2023 after receiving reports of a possible unlicensed HMO: 13 people were found in the two storey house which has a semi converted loft. Seven rooms were being used as bedrooms, and the occupants were sharing one bathroom and separate toilet.
There was a young couple with a toddler sharing one bedroom and man in his 90s with obvious medical needs in another bedroom, which he shared with his elderly wife and a male relative.
Alongside the overcrowding, various housing hazards were present including a poorly built lean-to being used as a communal area and a very narrow set of stairs to a loft conversation where rodent droppings were found. A gas boiler flue vented into the lean-to instead of outside. There was no central heating, forcing occupants to use plug in electrical heaters or oil filled radiators.
Together with other electrical hazards and a gas canister stored in the kitchen, there was a high fire risk.
A spokesperson for Bracknell Forest council says: “We work closely with landlords and support them to meet their legal obligations. However, we do not shy away from taking legal and enforcement action when needed. We hope the outcome of this case sends a strong message to other landlords who breach their duties.”
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Suprise suprise
Were they all his tenants? or had as often is the case his tenant (s) simply been sub letting to others
The fine seems very small considering the gravity of the failings. This sort of landlord should be banned for life (for the safety aspect and illegal extensions etc if not for the overcrowding if it was caused by subletting). These are the people who allow a lot of the landlord bashing which is so prevalent at the moment.
Have to say, you do get people asking to be allowed to rent property that is too small for their family, for various reasons. I always politely decline these requests, but I can see how some landlords might think they are doing someone a favour. Not that I condone overcrowding or unsuitable or poorly maintained properties.
Landlords like him give us all a bad name and more fuel for government interference. He should have received a larger fine.
The boiler flue venting to a lean to that was used as a communal area surely deserved a much larger fine! 😠
It's all in the name!! But this is what gives all LL a bad name!!!
Well, a fine of £3,000 - that's going to really deter a rogue landlord.
13 tenants, I imagine that fine is probably less than one month's rent.
Even if he was "helping" tenants by overcrowding - it's not allowed and if the property was managed by a professional letting agency (qualified and regulated) then these situations just would not happen.
If it was managed by a proper self-managing landlord it would not have happened either.
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