Agency is fined over £20,000 for failing to licence house to let

A lettings agency has been fined over £20,000 for failing to licence an overcrowded semi detached house in London.

The fine was issued back in February but has only recently been formally reported by Brent council, which brought an action against Easy Let.

It was fined £20,229 by Willesden Magistrate Court for failing to licence the property in Willesden Green; now the property owner, Mohammed Mehdi Ali from Wembley, has also been fined £10,000 for failure to licence the property, on top of court costs totalling £3,300.

The house, which was split into flats, wasn't properly licensed. 

Easy Let and Ali were in breach of HMO laws for cramming more than 10 people into the ground and first floor rooms, including three children.

In a separate case heard at Willesden Magistrates at the end of April, landlord Stephen Citron, of Kensal Rise, was ordered to pay £17,273 in fines and court costs for failing to comply with licensing regulations.

Citron was renting out what the council calls ‘undersized bedrooms’ which were prohibited for use under the licence conditions. Citron had ignored repeated warnings to make adjustments to his property in order to comply with legal requirements.

Brent council is extending selective licensing to all privately rented properties in the  Dudden Hill, Kensal Green, Kilburn, Mapesbury and Queen's Park areas from June 1, when the fee will be £540.