A landlord has been ordered to fork out more than £47,000 for failing to licence his eight rental properties, after ignoring numerous written and verbal warnings.

Peterlee Magistrates’ Court heard that although Durham County Council has run a selective licensing scheme since last year, Kamran Adil, 52, of Halterburn Close, Gosforth, did not have a licence for any of his properties in Blackhall (pictured).

During an inspection of one of the properties, council officers found the Electrical Condition Report had been carried out by an engineer who was not believed to be competent.

Electrical report

A Housing Act Notice was served to Adil, giving him 14 days to provide a copy of a valid electrical report, but he did not respond. At the hearing, the landlord was found guilty in his absence of eight counts of failing to licence a property and one count of failing to provide a copy of a valid Electrical Installation Condition Report.

He was fined a total of £45,000, ordered to pay costs of £330 and a victim surcharge of £2,000 - a total of £47,330.

Lynn Hall, the council’s strategic housing manager, says: “Selective licensing powers exist to help us ensure accommodation is safe and well managed for County Durham residents.

“By avoiding applying for the appropriate licences for his properties, Mr Adil has been left more than £45,000 worse off. This case should serve as a stark warning to other landlords and letting agents of the high financial penalty that can be imposed when they ignore the responsibilities of their role.”