City council first to use POCA against landlord for HMO licence breaches

A council in the East of England is understood to have become the first local authority to use the Proceeds of Crime Act against a landlord who failed to comply with Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) licence conditions.

Joseph Howman, of Grosvenor Road, Norwich, pleaded guilty at Norwich Magistrates' Court last week to nine offences under the Houses in Multiple Occupation (England) Regulations 2006 and did not meet the standards required of a landlord in the Licence Conditions (part 2, Housing Act 2004).

The defendant was ordered to pay more than £53,000, comprising £40,000 under POCA, £5,000 in fines, a £135 victim surcharge and £8,500 in costs

Howman had let a house in Unthank Road as 10 bedsits with shared bathrooms. The property was licensed as an HMO under the Housing Act 2004.

Officers from Norwich City Council inspected the property in November 2010 and found numerous problems.

According to the local authority, “the rooms had no heating, the main bathroom had no hot water, the communal bathrooms were dirty, the fire doors were in poor condition with many not working, and there were electrical hazards, including hanging wires and defective lighting”.

After the case, Ellen Spencer, private sector housing officer at the authority, said: "Norwich City Council is committed to making sure private tenants live in safe houses which meet legal standards. In this case the landlord risked the safety of tenants by cutting corners and refusing to make improvements.

"We are pleased that the court recognised the serious nature of the offences and hope that this will send out a message that rogue landlords will not be tolerated in Norwich."