A London landlord has been slapped with a £5000 fine after cramming 16 people into a house with no fire alarms or fire doors, reports the London Evening Standard.

Tower Hamlets Council officers discovered four families, including seven children, and a single man crammed into the property, which had just one bathroom, a kitchen and a toilet.

Landlord Nazrul Islam Bhuiyan had converted the flat in a bid to make more money from rent, Bow Magistrates’ Court heard.

However, no fire alarms or fire doors had been fitted and had a fire broken out the occupants would have struggled to escape, the court was told. 

Mr Bhuiyan pleaded guilty to five charges under the Housing Act 2014 at Tower Hamlets Magistrates’ Court.

He was ordered to pay a £4,750 fine and £1,429 in court costs.

Tower Hamlets Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Housing, Councillor Sirajul Islam said: “Bad landlords who exploit their tenants and expose them to danger can expect strong action from the Council, and if we discover that that laws to protect tenants are being flouted we will investigate and prosecute.”

Original source

Evening Standard