55-year-old Heather Jackson allowed tenants to occupy 16 bedsits which she created in a Southport property, despite not having a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) licence and the building being in shoddy condition with a leaking roof and faulty fire alarms.
Council inspectors visited the property with police in December last year and found the fire alarms had been deactivated, escape routes were blocked, a fire exit corridor had been converted into a makeshift kitchen and a fire door had been locked shut. She also failed to provide evidence of gas safety records.
Jackson pleaded guilty to 12 housing standards offences at South Sefton Magistrates Court.
HMO legislation is put in place to help protect tenants and also serves to ensure landlords comply with all rules and regulations.
As seen today, this was clearly not the case and we welcome the outcome at Court and the substantial fines imposed.
We want to send a clear message to the small number of landlords who compromise the safety of their tenants that this is not acceptable and can end up in a court case.
As proved today, large fines will be imposed by the courts and we will always act to protect our residents.
Helping members to comply
ARLA Propertymark has a range of resources which break down sometimes complex legislative changes to help members comply and give them a head start in ensuring practice in perfect when it comes to their day-to-day jobs.
Fact sheet: Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation
In May 2015, the UK Government announced that they would extend mandatory licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) to address poor conditions and overcrowding.
Fact sheet: Additional Licensing
The Housing Act 2004 introduced licensing for Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs). Additional licensing is when a local authority can impose a licence on other categories of HMOs in its area which are not subject to mandatory licensing.
