The council is responsible for regulating housing health and safety standards in the private rented sector and ensuring that HMOs are operated in a safe manner.
Following a complaint from one of the tenants, the council carried out an inspection of the HMO and served upon the landlord legal notices which required him to provide information to the council regarding the number of people living at the address and to provide copies of the tenancy agreements to the council.
The landlord failed to comply with these notices and failed to engage in a investigation into the offences.
The council brought a successful prosecution against the landlord in response.
At a hearing, which took place on, September 4, the landlord pleaded guilty to one offence of failing to comply with a notice served under Section 16 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 and one offence of failing to comply with a notice served under Section 235 of the Housing Act 2004.
The landlord was fined £581 and ordered to pay the council's costs of £1,129.16 and a victim surcharge of £232.
Having also identified hazards within the HMO, the council served upon the landlord an enforcement notice which required him to carry out repairs by a deadline.
The landlord was also given a separate deadline to complete other remedial works required under specific regulations relating to operating a HMO.
The remedial works required included rectifying water leaks, repairing door handles, installing additional fire alarms, replacing door locks and repairing faulty electrical sockets.
The landlord failed to comply with both of these deadlines and failed to engage in investigations into each offence.
As a result, the council brought another successful prosecution against the landlord in response.
At a hearing, which took place on February 17, which the landlord failed to attend, he was found guilty of failing to comply with an Improvement Notice and failing to comply with his duties under The Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (England) Regulations 2006, offences as per Sections 30 and 234 of the Housing Act 2004 respectively.
The landlord was fined £660 for each offence and ordered to pay the council's costs of £1,226.05 and a victim surcharge of £528.