Landlord behind 15-room unlicensed HMO sentenced

Runnymede Borough Council has successfully prosecuted a landlord who converted a three-bedroom bungalow into a 15-room unlicensed house of multiple occupation (HMO).

Mona Jetwani, 53, of St Pauls Road, Egham, admitted 10 charges against her under the Housing Act 2004 before her sentencing last week (27 November) at Staines Magistrates' Court.

The charges included operating a licensable HMO without a licence, failing to supply a Gas Safety Report, failing to comply with fire safety regulations, and failing to comply with a number of regulation requirements relating to the size of the rooms and access to washing facilities.

District Judge Cooper ruled that Jetwani should be fined £12,000 and ordered to pay a £2,000 victim surcharge.

The fine was initially set at £18,000, but the judge reduced the figure due to Jetwani's early guilty plea.

The council said it began investigating the home after receiving anonymous tip-offs about the property.

Officers who attended the address found that poor construction methods had been used to create 15 spaces, including four in the loft space.

Three bedrooms were only accessible from the outside of the property, meaning access to showers and toilets did not meet the requirements of an HMO.

Further inspections of the property revealed that some of the rooms were as small as 3.48 square metres. The smallest acceptable size for rooms in an HMO property is 6.51m.

A Runnymede Borough Council spokesperson said: "This prosecution came about through anonymous tip offs and we would absolutely encourage anyone else who believes an HMO is being run dangerously or without a licence to contact us.

"It took over a year to deal with this case but we do not give up when safety is at risk.

"The majority of landlords operate their properties within the law, but the sentence in this case should be a wake up call to the few who do not, wherever in the borough they are."

Adam Carey