News

Failure to apply for HMO licence results in prosecution for two Hammersmith & Fulham landlords

Saturday, April 10th, 2021 - Hammersmith & Fulham Council

Two private landlords have been convicted after pleading guilty to renting out shared houses without the correct licence.

In both cases, the breaches were discovered after tenants reported problems with their accommodation to the council.

The owner of a property in Rosaline Road, off Munster Road in Fulham, was fined £7,000 at City of London Magistrates’ Court after admitting running a shared flat without a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) licence.

Angela Bryan, who lives in Foxberry Road, Brockley, in south east London, was also ordered to pay Hammersmith & Fulham Council £1,200 in costs.

Magistrates heard that the terraced house in Fulham was rented by four sharers between October 2017 and April 2019, so didn’t have the required HMO licence for a year and a half.

When the building was inspected, it was discovered that there were also issues with the wiring, including faulty light switches and missing earth leads. In all, the council sent Bryan six reminders to apply for the licence she needed.

In a second prosecution at the same Magistrates’ Court, Glenthorne Properties of Lower Richmond Road, Putney, was fined £2,000, plus £450 costs, after pleading guilty to renting out a shared-occupancy four-storey town house in Raynham Road, Hammersmith, without the correct licence.

Hammersmith & Fulham landlord prosecution 2021

The house, at the Lamington Street end of the road, was found to have five occupants, unrelated to each other. In both cases, the landlords pleaded guilty to licensing offences under the Housing Act 2004.

Cllr Lisa Homan, H&F Cabinet Member for Housing, said:

We will prosecute or impose financial penalties on any landlords who fail to comply with our strict licensing policy, which is designed to protect the safety and wellbeing of tenants in our borough. As these cases show, we will not hesitate to take strong legal action against any landlord who breaks the rules.

In 2017, Hammersmith & Fulham Council extended licensing to all HMOs in the borough. There are also 128 streets where every private rented property needs to be licensed, including all single family lets. The aim is to drive up standards for tenants by ensuring landlords comply with minimum standards and regulations.

A free guide explaining the property licensing and HMO planning restrictions in the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham is available here.

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