A pair of landlords from Luton have been slapped with a fine totalling almost £3000 after the property they were renting out was found to be in breach of licensing and fire safety rules.

The pair, Mr William Hardie and Mrs Yunxiang Yi-Hardie, admitted to breaching the rules, after the property was found to have no fire doors or smoke alarms.

Cllr Tom Shaw, Luton Borough Council's Portfolio Holder for Housing, said: "This case underlines the Council's ongoing commitment to ensure private tenants in our town have safe, high-quality accommodation.

"In situations like this, unscrupulous landlords are not only taking financial advantage of vulnerable tenants, but placing their lives in danger.

"Every landlord housing different families that share the same facilities under one roof must register for an HMO licence. We will not hesitate to prosecute landlords who show a disregard for the law and their responsibilities towards occupants.

"We encourage anyone who suspects a property that may be an unlicensed HMO to contact us immediately. 

"The good news for tenants taken advantage of in situations like these is that they are entitled to claim up to 12-months rent back from the landlord – something the Council hopes will make landlords think twice and take seriously their legal obligations."

Original source

Luton on Sunday