Mehmet Parlak could be one of Britain’s worst slum landlords as he has admitted nearly 100 housing offences in two court visits over bedsit homes his companies run in North London.

Now, his property empire is under financial strain as is allegedly considering selling one or more of his squalid homes to pay the £70,000 in fines and costs he has run up in just a few weeks.

On top of that, his tenants are taking separate action to reclaim thousands of pounds in rents they have paid him in the past 12 months.

Parlak, director of Watchstar Ltd and Watchacre Properties Ltd, both based in North London, was fined £40,000 and ordered to pay £4,462 costs at Tottenham Magistrates Court at his latest appearance.

He pleaded guilty to 15 charges ofbreaking fire safety and house in multiple occupation (HMO) licensing laws relating to four shared houses in Tottenham after a Haringey Council team inspected the properties..

Councillor Nilgun Canver, cabinet member for the environment, said: “It is not right that people should be paying rent to live in sometimes unsafe and unhygienic properties.

“The law stipulates that certain HMOs must be licensed, this protects tenants by making sure the property meets certain standards of space and safety. We also expect any let properties to meet certain standards and I hope these fines remind all landlords that we will take action where we find they do not.”

In December, Parlak was fined £23,000 with costs of £2,890 by Highbury Corner Magistrates, after admitting 78 housing offences relating to another HMO he rented out.

Meanwhile, Haringey Council is taking on extra article 4 powers to control HMOs in the borough.

From November 2013, property investors will need planning permission before they can let a shared house to three or more unrelated tenants living together.