Biggest-ever fine for failure to secure buy to let licence

Four landlords have been fined and ordered to pay costs totalling £232,155.68 in the first prosecutions of its kind brought by a local council.

Collectively all four landlords incurred fines totalling £213,000 for 15 offences of failing to comply with selective licensing.

The biggest fine of £108,000 was given to Leicester landlord Jagdish Singh. He pleaded guilty to ‘failure to licence’ eight of his properties, receiving a fine of £13,500 per offence. 

It is believed to be the largest fine issued to one landlord to date in the country, for renting out properties without a selective licence.

Singh also pleaded guilty to three offences relating to the failure to comply with improvement notices and fined a further £4,500 for each offence and ordered to pay costs of £2,000.

West Lindsey council introduced selective licensing in July 2016 in certain parts of Gainsborough. 

The other three defendants jointly own several of the unlicensed properties with Singh.

Gurjit Singh and Balbir Kaur had previously been found guilty for two ‘failure to licence’ offences each. They were both fined £15,000 for two offences each and ordered to each pay costs of £1048.56, plus £170 surcharge.

Harpal Bindra Singh previously had three ‘failure to licence’ offences heard and determined in his absence and was fined £15,000 per offence. He was also found guilty for one failure to comply with an improvement notice and given the maximum £5,000 fine and ordered to pay costs of £1,048.56, plus £170 surcharge.

West Lindsey council successfully applied for Criminal Behaviour Orders on all the defendants which imposes conditions on the letting and management of any properties owned within the district for a period of 10 years.