A landlord from Stoke Newington, London, has been ordered to pay a £20,000 fine after cramming 28 tenants into just seven rooms, without the appropriate fire safety precautions.

Hackney Council investigators and police discovered the conditions at the terraced house, made up of two storeys and an attic, after a dawn raid in October last year.

They found that the property had no fire alarm, as well as inadquetae conditions and no HMO licence, prompting the prosecution of owner Mr Alfred Landau.

Mr Landau pleaded guilty and was ordered to pay a £20,000 fine plus a further £1,845 in costs.

Cllr Philip Glanville, Cabinet Member for Housing said: “The lack of any basic fire safety at this jam-packed property put lives at risk, and this maximum fine serves as a warning that we won’t stand by when we see unsafe conditions in Hackney’s homes.

“We’re determined to drive up standards for private renters in Hackney, and we won’t hesitate to take enforcement action and press for the strongest penalties for landlords who flout the rules.

“Those who seek to take advantage of London’s housing crisis for personal profit have no place in our borough.”

Original source

Hackney Council - http://news.hackney.gov.uk/big-fine-for-landlord-who-crammed-28-tenants-into-two-storey-terrace/