A landlord who appealed against a housing penalty has had his fine increased to £10,500 at tribunal.

Mohammed Gulzar had previously been fined £7,500 for multiple failures at his rental property in Bayswater Place, Leeds, some of which he tried to blame on his tenant. Gulzar also tried to blame his managing agent after Leeds Council housing officers told him he had breached licence conditions under its selective scheme.

A First Tier Property Tribunal heard that Gulzar had obtained a selective licence in October 2021 but, at a previous hearing, while he appeared to accept that he was the only named holder of the licence, he argued that he had employed a managing agent - but could not produce a management agreement confirming the instruction of his agent nor the terms of their instruction.

Breaches

A long list of breaches included a bypassed gas meter (which he said had been done by the tenant), lack of a gas safety certificate, lack of a working fire alarm system, and missing stair rails and handrails. Household waste was also left in the front yard, along with missing sections of roof and broken windows.

His claims that poor flooring in the kitchen and painting of door fire seals had been caused by the tenant, were rejected.

Unfair

The landlord – who owns five properties - said the fine was unfair and that he couldn’t afford it. However, the tribunal ruled the council’s original assessment regarding the level of culpability and harm should be high rather than medium, particularly due to the bypassed gas meter and defective fire seals.

Gulzar old the tribunal he had suffered two heart attacks and had to care for his sick mother.  

But the judge said: “If the applicant was not in a position to undertake his obligations in respect of the property it was reasonable for him to employ a reputable agent to assist and ensure that such agent was licenced with the respondent in accordance with the licence obligations. He did not do so.”

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