A landlord in North London has been fined for putting the lives of his tenants at risk, according to a report by North London newspapers.
The landlord owned and let out a five-bedroom house in Colindale, which was found by Environmental Health Inspectors to lack basic safety features such as smoke alarms. The landlord had failed to obtain an electrical test certificate or a gas safety certificate and had no flame resistant doors. The house was being let out to a large number of tenants all living under one roof.
Landlords have a duty to ensure certain health and safety measures are in place in homes they let out to tenants. They should also make sure they take out landlords insurance to cover them for any unexpected costs or liabilities that arise as a result of being a landlord.
This is the latest in a string of prosecutions by Barnet Council against rogue landlords, Willesden Magistrate's Court fined the landlord in question a total of £25,000 for his failures.
A spokesman for the council stated: "The consequences of a fire could have been catastrophic. Mr Khan’s only response to the investigation was to evict two tenants so the house was no longer covered by licensing arrangements.”
The case is a the latest in a line of prosecutions by Barnet Council, which is cracking down on landlords who fail to manage their properties properly or fail to take the adequate health and safety measures to keep their tenants safe.
Tim Davey, the chairman of Barnet Council’s Housing Committee, explained: “The big fines the courts continue to hand down clearly demonstrates how seriously they view landlords who fail to license and manage their rented accommodation.”
