Landlord ordered to pay more than £45,000 for renting out unlicensed properties in Hemel Hempstead

A landlord has been ordered to pay more than £45k for renting out two houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) without a licence and failing to comply with HMO management regulations.

Mohammed Ammar Hussain of Bennetts End Road, Hemel Hempstead, pleaded guilty to offences relating to two separate properties. The offences were failure to apply for an HMO licence, plus three offences of failing to comply with management duties, including a lack of working fire alarms.

He appeared at St Albans Magistrates' Court on February 15, and ordered to pay fines of £13,450, a victim surcharge of £2,000 and £29,856 prosecution costs - a total of £45,306.

The properties in Hemel Hempstead were first discovered after the council issued a warrant on three addresses in September 2022. The investigation found the properties to be operating illegally as HMOs and that there were multiple hazards to residents. The council returned in January 2023 due to the landlord’s failure to act on the request to submit licence applications. It was discovered that two were still operating as unlicensed HMOs and the landlord had failed to put right all of the hazards present.

Councillor Simy Dhyani, Dacorum Borough Council's Portfolio Holder for Housing and Property Services, said: "The council’s Private Sector Housing team play a vital role in making sure Dacorum residents have somewhere safe warm and secure to live. We recognise that most landlords are responsible and law abiding, caring deeply about providing the highest standards in their home. However, there is a small minority of landlords who choose not to comply with the law and their tenants suffer as a result.

"I’m very proud of the team for achieving this excellent result on behalf of our residents, demonstrating our Housing Strategy commitment to championing the provision of safe, warm and dry homes across the borough and putting our residents at the heart of everything we do."

Since October 1, 2018, any property that has five or more unrelated tenants requires a mandatory HMO licence. Operating a property without a licence could result in an unlimited fine or a civil penalty of up to £30,000 per offence.

Further information about HMO licences, including the requirements and how to apply for a licence, is available on the council website.