Landlord Mohammed Rasool and property management company Blackstone Properties Management Limited have been convicted following a prosecution by Kensington and Chelsea Council relating to serious fire safety and housing management failures at a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) in Hyde Park Gate.

Following a retrial at the City of London Magistrates' Court on 29 June, both defendants were found guilty of eight offences, including managing an unlicensed HMO, failing to comply with an Improvement Notice and six breaches of HMO management regulations.

The retrial followed a challenge to the original proceedings in 2023. The case concerned 36 Hyde Park Gate, a property that had been converted from four bedrooms into 22 rooms and was operating as an HMO.

Council officers first inspected the property in August 2021 and found it was operating without the required HMO licence. The court heard that tenants were exposed to serious fire safety and health and safety risks.

At sentencing on 30 June, Blackstone Properties Management Limited was fined £30,000 and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £12,176.68. Mohammed Rasool received a £20,000 fine.

Councillor Johnny Thalassites, lead member for resident services, planning and enforcement, said: "Rasool and Blackstone Properties Management Limited were given opportunities to put things right, but the court found they chose not to. We will continue to take action where landlords fail to follow the rules. Everyone in Kensington and Chelsea deserves a safe place in which to live."

Fire safety failings identified

The investigation began in 2020 following a complaint from a tenant, which led to the discovery that the 22-bedroom HMO was operating without the required licence.

Despite repeated warnings from the council, the landlord failed to apply for a licence. Kensington and Chelsea Council officers later carried out a joint inspection with the Metropolitan Police Service and the London Fire Brigade.

Inspectors identified a number of significant fire safety deficiencies, including defective and damaged fire doors, inadequate fire compartmentation between bedrooms, insufficient fire protection to the boiler room and lobby, covered fire alarm devices, and damaged electrical sockets.

The inspection also identified wider concerns relating to the condition of the property, including tenants cooking in bedrooms using camping-style equipment due to inadequate kitchen facilities, widespread damp and mould, and deteriorating windows with rotten frames, draughts and broken sashes.

The case highlights the importance of complying with HMO licensing requirements and maintaining appropriate fire safety measures to protect residents. It also demonstrates the role of enforcement action where landlords fail to address serious safety risks.

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