Rogue landlord pays fine for unlicensed HMO

The owner of a property in Wheatfield Road, Northampton has paid a £2,750 civil penalty after failing to licence their home in multiple occupation (HMO).

In December 2021 officers from West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) Private Sector Housing Team visited the property following complaints from the public.

The inspection identified that the three-bedroom property was being occupied by four people from two separate households. This made the property a licensable HMO under the Council’s Additional Licensing regime.

Cllr Adam Brown Cabinet Member for housing, culture and leisure said: “People in Northampton are rightly angry about landlords willing to circumvent the rules which are there to protect their tenants and provide good living standards.

"This demonstrates that we will investigate reports of unlicensed HMO’s when people contact us, and that when the evidence is there, we will take a firm stance against those who operate HMOs without the appropriate licence.

"Property investment is a key legitimate part of our economy, but landlords must recognise that when they invest in homes for people to live in, they are becoming part of a community."

The inspection also identified offences under the Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (England) Regulations 2006. The offences relating to the provision of information regarding the landlord or properties, maintenance of means of escape from fire, and maintenance of common parts of the property.

In June WNC launched a review of HMOs in Northampton which has seen the council engage with stakeholders to analyse current policies concerning HMOs while also identifying ways to apply best practice from elsewhere in the country.