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14/7/25 8:13 pm
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A landlord who continued to rent out her unlicensed and unsafe HMO where one tenant was electrocuted has been hit with a whopping £24,753 rent repayment order.
Four tenants will share the payout after a First Tier Property Tribunal heard that landlord Mireille Gasking bore a high level of culpability for problems at the five-bedroom flat in Argyle Walk, London.
The claim relates to the period between October 2023 and October 2024 during which time either Camden Council’s statutory mandatory licensing regime – when five tenants lived in the property - or its additional licensing scheme applied.
The tribunal found that Gasking knew the HMO needed a licence because it had been inspected by the council in March 2023, and inspectors informed her by WhatsApp and email. They said the property was sufficiently unsafe that a licence might not have been granted.
The inspection identified fire hazards described as “dangerous”, “significant” and “severe” including fire alarms that did not work properly, no fire doors, no emergency lighting and an unsafe property layout that meant an escape route involving a one or two storey drop.
The tribunal also found electrical hazards which caused one tenant to be electrocuted in May 2023, while fuses in the property frequently tripped. Despite the risks, Gasking did no repair work and granted five further tenancies in October 2023. She also failed to protect their deposits.
Gasking, who now lives in Australia, didn’t file any evidence which she blamed on “her financial inability to instruct a lawyer and that she is the mother of four children”.
The tribunal judge said he was satisfied she never intended to comply with the direction to file and that the landlord had a complete disregard for its order and directions. He made an award of 70% for the amounts claimed along with £660 costs.
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