A rogue landlord has been handed a £9,000 bill after he repeatedly ignored warnings to make his HMO safer.

Harrow Council officers visited Kamil Trivedi’s four-bedroom property in Edgware after repeated complaints of rubbish piling up outside. Inside they found it was riddled with fire hazards, including old mattresses left in walkways and no smoke alarms, causing dangerous living conditions.

It also had a broken boiler, and an emergency engineer was called out after a strong smell of gas was detected. Officers immediately issued an emergency prohibition order to stop anyone living in the property until urgent repairs were made.

Converted

The house had been converted into multiple units and was suspected to be unlicensed. Despite several formal requests, Trivedi failed to provide safety certificates.

The landlord was found guilty at Willesden Magistrates’ Court of failing to provide a fire safety certificate and failing to provide the electrical safety certificate. He was fined £5,000, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £2,000 and ordered to pay a costs contribution of £2,000.

Councillor Pritesh Patel (pictured), cabinet member for cleaner streets and public safety, says this case shows the consequences of ignoring warnings and allowing a property to fall into a dangerous state.

“Our officers acted swiftly to shut the property down and prosecute Mr Trivedi. No one is above the law,” he adds. “We will continue to put residents first and take tough action against anyone who puts them at risk.”

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