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Two men fined thousands of pounds for breaching housing regulations

Posted on Wednesday 14th November 2018

Two men were fined thousands of pounds after being found guilty of housing offences relating to a rental property in Newport.

The case of Abdul Kahim of Queens Hill Drive, Newport and Muhammud Rubel Ahmed of Wellington Road, Northampton was heard at Cwmbran Magistrates’ Court on October 1 when they were found guilty of offences relating to 24 Caroline Street, Newport.

The prosecution was brought by Newport City Council’s environmental health officers as a result of an investigation following a referral from Rent Smart Wales.

The council is obliged to licence Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) (any house with three or more tenants who are not a family) and enforce the management regulations to ensure HMOs are provided with the correct facilities and that they are maintained to provide safe homes. 

HMOs include properties such as shared houses, bedsits and some buildings converted into flats.

The court heard the property, which was occupied by three unrelated men, was inspected on February 1 this year.

Officers found the property to be in a very poor condition with numerous breaches of the House in Multiple Occupation (Wales) Regulations 2006 including unsafe electrics which posed a fire risk, no fire alarm system, an upstairs floor which was so unsafe a person could fall through it and a missing handrail on the stairs.

In addition officers requested documents from both Mr Ahmed and Mr Kahim including rent receipt books, gas certificate, electrical installation condition report, tenancy agreements etc. under the Housing Act 2004 Section 235.  Such documents were not received.

Muhammud Rubel Ahmed and Abdul Kahim were both handed a fine of £2,000 for operating an unlicensed HMO; £9,000 for multiple breaches of the House in Multiple Occupation (Wales) Regulations 2006; a £3,000 fine for failure to provide documents and were ordered to pay £811.63 costs and a £170 victim surcharge taking the total to £14,981.63 each.

Councillor Ray Truman, Newport City Council’s Cabinet Member for Licensing and Regulation said: “Tenants are entitled to live in accommodation that is safe. The inaction by these individuals was completely unacceptable.

“HMOs are licensed and regulated in order to ensure that unscrupulous landlords cannot undermine the efforts of responsible landlords who provide good quality homes.

“Landlords have a responsibility and the council will not hesitate to take actions against those who put tenants at risk.”

Any unlicensed HMO or poor housing conditions can be reported to the Rogue Landlord Hotline telephone: 01633 235233.

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