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Landlord and Letting Agent Hit with £26,000 Fines for HMO Breaches
This article is an external press release originally published on the Landlord News website, which has now been migrated to the Just Landlords blog.
A landlord and their letting agent have been hit with fines over £26,000 after being found guilty of HMO breaches on two properties in Luton, following a multi-agency operation.
Landlord and Letting Agent Hit with £26,000 Fines for HMO Breaches
Adrian Simion, 30, and his letting agent, Altavon Property Management, were found guilty at Luton Magistrates’ Court of a series of management regulation breaches relating to the safety and organisation of illegal Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs).
Neither Simion nor the letting agent attended the hearing, but were convicted of the HMO breaches in their absence.
Magistrates imposed fines totalling almost £7,000 on Simion for two offences of failing to licence a HMO and nine separate management regulation breaches. He was also ordered to pay £500 in costs and a £110 victim surcharge.
Alvaton Property Management was fined £10,000 for the HMO breaches, £2,500 for each of four management breaches, along with £500 costs and a £120 victim surcharge.
Luton Borough Council, which brought the prosecutions, reported the occupants found at the address, and was supported by the Romanian Embassy, Bedfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group, Citizens Advice Luton and various charities.
Councillor Tom Shaw, the Portfolio Holder for Housing at Luton Borough Council, says: “We hope that this prosecution sends a very strong message that we will act on information we receive, especially if we suspect that people are being exploited.
“Our rogue landlord project, in partnership with the police, fire and rescue service, and other organisations, is taking action against these landlords who expect people to live in overcrowded and unsafe conditions.”
Superintendent David Cestaro, the Bedfordshire Police Lead for Modern Slavery, also comments on the HMO breaches: “While no offences under the Modern Slavery Act were identified from this particular operation, we have managed to safeguard people who were taken advantage of by being provided substandard living arrangements.
“We continue to ask members of the public and professionals in public-facing roles to trust their instincts and report anything which they believe could be a sign of someone being exploited, whether that be for labour, domestic servitude, sex or crime.”
Landlords, remember that HMO breaches carry significant penalties – Always stick to the law and protect your tenants.
