A Nottingham landlord who put ‘profit before safety’ has been fined £29k after one of his properties was found to have no fire detection system and damaged fire doors.

Nottingham HMO Ltd, directed by Mr Nazaquat Azam and previously by Mr Yusif McCallum, was found guilty of breaching HMO regulations at Nottingham Magistrates Court.

The Council’s Housing Licensing & Compliance Team originally visited the property earlier this year to assess it for suitability for an HMO licence.

During the inspection the property was found to be in a state of disrepair with serious lapses in the management of the dwelling.

This included the property having no working fire detection system and the integrity of the fire doors being compromised due to damage.

The house was in a filthy and verminous condition with an infestation of rats in the kitchen. The licence has since been refused.

Councillor Nicola Heaton, Nottingham City Council’s Portfolio Holder for Community Services, said: “Nottingham HMO Ltd completely ignored the advice given to them for their own financial gain, placing their tenants at the risk of harm.

“This is simply ‘profit before safety’ and the landlord has been held accountable for their criminal actions. We will continue to rigorously enforce the law, ensuring that privately rented housing in Nottingham is up to the required standards for citizens, who have the right to live in a decent and safe home.

“We welcome this conviction and hope that it sends a message out to private landlords who may think about cutting corners on the standard of accommodation.”

Original source

Nottingham City Council