Landlord fined £1,000 after HMO licensing mix-up

Landlord fined £1,000 after HMO licensing mix-up

15:36 PM, 26th March 2012, About 13 years ago 1

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A landlord who told a court he misunderstood shared house rules was fined £1,000 for failing to licence his property and fit fire safety equipment.

Anton McLoughlin, 47, thought he did not need a house in multiple occupation licence because although six tenants lived there, he had divided the property into three separate flats.

Magistrates in York were told he made a mistake as shared house laws say if the flats are not separated from the rest of the building by lockable doors, the property should be licensed as a house in multiple occupation (HMO).

If the property is an HMO, the owner should also upgrade other facilities, like fire precautions, which McLoughlin failed to do.

The court also ordered McLoughlin, who pleaded guilty to the offences, to pay £725 in costs.

Magistrate Hilary Fairwood said: “This is a matter of public safety and the court takes it extremely seriously. You say you have been a landlord for 20 years. We believe you must know it is your duty to comply with the law as it relates to your business.”

Rogue gas fitter Neil Lloyd was ordered to carry out 150 hours community service and pay costs of £500 after he failed to fit a gas boiler correctly and put the life of a tenant in a buy to let home at risk.

Lloyd posed as a certified gas engineer when fitting the boiler, but failed to properly fit the flue.

He pleaded guilty to several gas safety offences at Wrexham Magistrates Court.

His poor workmanship was uncovered when another engineer was called to repair the boiler after a breakdown.

The Health & Safety Executive said the faulty boiler could have let carbon monoxide leak in to the house with fatal consequences for the tenant.

Lloyd was not certified as a gas engineer when he carried out the work.


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16:02 PM, 26th March 2012, About 13 years ago

I either feel sorry for Mr McLoughlin as it seems he split the property into three flats but then did not put a lock on the front door. Silly mistake but an obvious requirement for any real "flat".

Or it was a good excuse that failed in court. At the end of the day three flats with three tenants in each with no separating door and access is a HMO.

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