A Watford landlord has been ordered to pay £26,535 over a raft of house in multiple occupation (HMO) failings.

Syed Yasir Shah, of Vicarage Road, was taken to St Albans Magistrates’ Court by the borough council on Wednesday, April 10, having been accused of 13 offences.

They ranged from allowing more people to stay in his house than was authorised by the HMO licence, to fire safety breaches including electrical sockets hanging off walls, not having clear escape routes, and no adequate alarm system.

The landlord also converted a fire escape passage into a bedroom, which was kept locked and prevented getting onto the street.

 

WBC said the breaches, which posed "significant risks" to tenants, came to light after two raised concerns about ongoing building work at the property.

Shah admitted all counts and was hit with multiple fines and charges. His guilty pleas were taken into account during sentencing, according to court papers.

The crimes relate to a property at 313 Vicarage Road, near the King George V Playing Fields.

WBC said Shah had also added a third storey to the property without the appropriate licensing. This expansion resulted in nine tenants residing in a three-storey property, exceeding the permitted limit.

Justine Hoy, WBC's associate director of housing and wellbeing, said: “Ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our residents is paramount. We will not tolerate any compromises to housing standards that put lives at risk.

“This successful prosecution sends a clear message that we will hold rogue landlords accountable for their obligations to provide safe and secure accommodation. They not only risk tents lives, but also the reputation of the vast majority of our responsible landlords who are providing high quality and essential homes."

The offences also included failing to ensure under-stairs gas and electricity meters had 30-minute fire casing, not having a handrail on the second-floor stairs, having no guarding on the first-floor hallway, and not having self-closing doors with smoke bristle seals which did not need a key to open from inside.