The dodgy landlord was slapped with a £5,000 fine
The dodgy landlord was slapped with a £5,000 fine(Image: Harrow Council )
A mother and son were living in a dangerous garden shed in North West London with flammable cladding and DIY electrics constructed by their dodgy landlord. He has been handed a £5,000 fine and ordered to stop renting the garage out to tenants.
The building had flammable timber cladding, no smoke alarm and DIY electrical wiring. Both the mother and her son have now been moved to a safe property. Police and Harrow Council officers discovered the garage was being rented out after members of the public voiced their concerns. They found it was structurally unsafe, with serious health and safety hazards.
It was also found to be a serious fire hazard, due to cladding issues, plastic wall finishes, damaged electrical sockets and no proper fire escape route. There was no smoke alarm, no insulation or fixed heating, and no secure door or window, as the building was never designed or approved for people to live in.
The landlord was handed an Emergency Prohibition Order – banning anyone from using the outbuilding. He was also given a £5,000 Civil Penalty Notice for failing to declare the outbuilding in connection to a House of Multiple Occupancy (HMO) licence and providing false information.
Cllr Pritesh Patel, Cabinet Member for Cleaner Streets and Public Safety said: “This landlord put lives at risk – and that is simply unacceptable. No one should have to live in unsafe or dangerous conditions. Our officers are cracking down on rogue landlords who put profit before people.
“Thanks to joint work with the police, we’ve taken swift enforcement action and ensured the mother and child are now in a safe, suitable home – no longer exposed to these appalling conditions. We’ll continue to put residents and their safety first and bring the law onto anyone else who thinks they can flout the law.”
Got a story? Please get in touch at katherine.gray@reachplc.com
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