Agency prosecuted for breaking HMO and licensing regulations

A lettings agency apparently trying to get around HMO regulations has been prosecuted for licensing and housing offences. 

Easy Let Agency let out properties from landlords in order to re-rent them as Houses in Multiple Occupation without the landlords' knowledge.

Staff from the firm, which also operates under the name Focus Property Management Limited, were hit with fines in two court hearings at Willesden, north London.

In the first case, the owners of a five bedroom terrace house in Willesden, let out their property to Claudio Crisafulli who was working as a freelance estate agent for Easy Let.

Crisafulli then illegally sublet the house as an HMO behind his landlords' backs. 

Brent council’s licensing enforcement team became involved when neighbours complained about lots of people coming and going from the property. Investigating officers found it difficult to track down the people responsible because Easy Let Agency was listed under a false address.

Now Easy Let company director, Marcio Da Silva has been fined £2,000 for failure to licence and a further £2,000 for breach of management regulations as well as £1,670 in costs. Fellow director, Marcio Auriello Do Prado, was fined £3,000 for failure to licence and £3,000 for breach of management regulations alongside £1,670 fines.

Claudio Crisafulli was fined £400 for failure to licence and £400 for a breach of management regulations on top of £40 costs. The agency was also slapped with a £5,000 fine and £170 in costs. The total fines and costs for the case amounted to £19,180.

In a separate sentence hearing, Focus Property Management Limited was sentenced to a total of £20,229 in fines for management regulation and licensing breaches for another rented property in Willesden Green.