A landlord has been heavily fined for failing to fix safety hazards at one rental property and for operating others without a selective licence.

Zahid Hussain, of Cavendish Street in Peterborough, was ordered to pay £13,936 after he failed to carry out essential works identified under multiple improvement notices served by the council’s housing standards team to ensure the safety and wellbeing of tenants.

When officers visited the Stone Lane property, they found several safety issues including damp and mould as well as electrical and fire hazards. The property was also excessively cold and had no gas safety certificate, proof that the boiler was safe to use or evidence that the electrics were safe and met current standards.

Hussain was also found to be managing properties in St Paul’s Road that required a selective licence.

Hearing

The landlord did not attend the hearing at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court where he was found guilty in his absence. Hussain was fined £2,000 for failure to comply with the improvement notices, £3,000 for each breach of failing to licence a property and was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £3,200, as well as costs.

Councillor Christian Hogg, cabinet member for regulatory services and enforcement, (pictured left) says the prosecution should serve as a warning to the small minority of landlords who put their tenants at risk. “We are fully committed to maintaining safe and well managed housing for residents and will take appropriate enforcement action under the range of powers available to us if we discover landlords or companies who flagrantly disregard the law,” he adds.

The council will now seek to have Hussain included on the rogue landlord database.

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