News
Wembley ‘rent to rent’ landlords prosecuted for running an unlicensed HMO
A couple from north Wembley have been ordered to pay over £10,000 for failing to ensure the property that they had rented and were subletting was licensed.
Daniel and Alima Borzos of Peel Road were ordered to pay a total of £10,334 by Willesden Magistrates Court.
The defendants rented the four bedroom property from a letting agency after telling staff that they and their small child would live there.
They then sublet the property to a group of other tenants; when Brent enforcement officers raided the property in April, they found a total of 16 mattresses in the house, and it’s thought that over 20 people were living there.
The court found them guilty of failing to provide evidence of their tenancy and fined Mrs Borzos £7,000 and Mr Borzos £2,000, while each must pay costs of £497 and a victim surcharge of £170. They have now left the property.
Their prosecution means that a total of 35 rogue landlords have been successfully convicted since January 2016, under a licensing scheme which aims to improve standards in the private rental sector in Brent.
Cllr Harbi Farah, Brent Cabinet Member for Housing, said:
“This case once again demonstrates the importance of Brent’s private sector licensing scheme.
“While there are many good landlords in Brent who have licensed their properties, there’s still a minority who haven’t, who are operating illegally and exploiting people for profit.
“We will always push for the strongest penalties against unlicensed properties in Brent, so we’re pleased to see rogue landlords likes the Borzos’ receive a substantial punishment.“
Since the start of this year, the council has considerably increased its enforcement activity, with between two to five prosecutions each week and many more raids and prosecutions expected in the coming months.
Most private landlords in Brent are legally required to obtain a licence from the council. You can find out more at www.londonpropertylicensing.co.uk/brent or by visiting the council’s website at www.brent.gov.uk/prslicensing.
