Birmingham landlord fined £5k for defective student property
A Birmingham landlord from Hall Green was fined £5,037.97 at Birmingham Magistrates Court today (27 October 2016) for failing to obtain an HMO licence and for breaching management regulations at a property in North Road, Selly Oak.
Allah Ditta, age 71 of Green Road, Hall Green, Birmingham pleaded guilty to failing to obtain an HMO licence and for breaching management regulations and was fined £3,500 with £1,187.97 full costs and victim surcharge of £170.
Officers at Birmingham City Council were initially contacted by a local councillor, Cllr Karen McCarthy, who advised that a third storey had been constructed at the property which meant that an HMO licence was needed. Despite two letters from council officers, Ditta did not reply.
In March this year council officers visited the property. In addition to the landlord’s failure to apply for an HMO licence, they identified a number of defects and issues including -
- The common parts of the HMO were not maintained in good and clean decorative repair in that there was mould affecting the bathroom ceiling and the sealant around the bath
- There were insufficient handrails to the staircase
- The rear yard waste water rainwater downpipe did not terminate directly into a drain causing waste water to flood the rear yard below
Cabinet member for Housing and Homes, Cllr Peter Griffiths, said: “Ditta owns another student property in Selly Oak so he should have known about the obligation to license and the standards required.
“This property was rented to students from outside Birmingham and their parents believed that they were living in decent accommodation.
“We have a responsibility to these young people and their families and I am glad that we have been able to bring this landlord to justice through our specialist work on rogue landlords.”
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