A private landlord has been fined £7000 and ordered to undertake 200 hours of unpaid work, after he was found to not have the required licence for a house of multiple occupation in his ownership. 

The property in Woking, Surrey, owned by Mr Pervez Akhtar, was also found to have a number of fire safety breaches.

Redhill Magistrates’ Court heard how Mr Akhtar had put his tenants in danger due to the lack of safety precautions, including not having an adequate fire alarm system.

The three storey house was rented to unrelated tenants and as a result required to possess an HMO licence from the council.

Despite being contacted by the council on a number of occasions, Mr Akhtar did not apply for a HMOs licence. Instead, he provided the council with fraudulent tenancy agreements which meant he could avoid licencing the property.

Neil Coles, Woking Borough Council’s Housing Standards Manager, said: “Woking Borough Council will not tolerate the actions of private landlords who put their tenants at risk or think they can provide us with false documentation. They should not underestimate the seriousness of failing to comply with their legal obligations, which as in this case, could lead to a significant fine.”

Original sources

96.4 Eagle

Woking Borough Council