Landlord ordered to pay £40k in fine and costs for breaches of property licensing conditions

A London landlord who repeatedly failed to comply with licensing regulations, including refusal to provide a kitchen for a tenant, has been ordered to pay £40,000 in fine and costs.

The Environmental Health team at Islington Council brought the case after an investigation revealed 15 breaches of residential property licensing conditions and a further two breaches of property management regulations.

Mohammed Shahid, owner of 563 Holloway Road, was sentenced on 22 January at Highbury Magistrates Court and his appeal was dismissed at Snaresbrook Crown Court on 30 June.

Mr Shahid was instructed by the judge to pay a fine of £31,250, costs of £8,657 and a victim surcharge of £190. Further costs associated with the appeal in June were also imposed.

Cllr Una O’Halloran, Islington’s Executive Member for Homes and Communities, said: “Islington Council is determined to ensure that everyone in our community has a decent, safe and genuinely affordable place to call home.

“Landlords who consistently fail to uphold their responsibilities to their tenants, will not be tolerated in Islington. People should feel safe in their own homes, and they should be provided with everything they need to have a good quality of life.

“We hope that this prosecution will send a clear message to landlords that if they fail to comply with the rules, we will take legal action.”