A rogue landlord who squeezed six people into one room of his HMO has been banned from the lettings sector for four years.

A First Tier Property Tribunal banned Charles Egbiremolen – who is also known as Charles Molen – after it found his offences were serious and significant, particularly the failure to license and the lack of fire safety in an overcrowded property. The judge said the circumstances at 105 Fairmead Crescent, Edgware, constituted among the worst the tribunal had seen.

“The problems at the property seem to have arisen directly from the respondent’s aversion to rules and regulations and his preferred methods of property management,” the judge said. “The respondent needs to understand just how serious his failures have been and all landlords need to understand the consequences of following a similar line.”

Ordered

Egbiremolen was ordered to pay £37,000 in fines and costs in February 2025 after Barnet Council found that his three-bedroom terraced house had been converted into eight bedsits and was being operated without a licence. Council inspectors found 18 tenants including children and infants, with one room shared by six people including infants.

The building had no safe means of escape in case of fire, while the rear garden was filled with building waste, mattresses and other debris, along with a kitchen in a separate structure in the garden, and disrepair throughout.

The landlord did not engage with the tribunal hearing although he had asked for previous adjournments due to ill health and family bereavements.

Involved

At Magistrates’ Court in October 2024, Egbiremolen said he had been involved in the property business since 1999, had owned two or three properties since 2022 or 2023, and managed 40 to 50 properties. He was also the sole director and shareholder of Comey Properties Management Limited, which dissolved in 2025.

The judge added that the banning order sought to give Egbiremolen six months in which to remove himself from involvement with his current tenants and that he could apply to the tribunal for an extension of time to do this. It also gave him an opportunity to pass on the management of his properties to a qualified, competent managing agent.

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