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An unscrupulous landlord in Portsmouth has has been fined £7,500 by Portsmouth City Council, while his appointed letting agency, which was managing the property, has been ordered to pay close to £5,000, after a tribunal found a house in multiple occupation (HMO) to be overcrowded.
The property, located on Manners Road in Fratton, PO4, was licensed to accommodate five people in separate bedrooms. But during an application to increase the licence to six occupants, a council officer discovered a family of three living in a single room, bringing the total number of residents to seven.
The property was managed by an agent on behalf of the landlord, Iqbal Miah, and both parties received fines from the council.
The agent, Elite Rooms Portsmouth , received a financial penalty of £4,875.
The landlord appealed the fines at a tribunal in September, arguing that he was not responsible for ensuring the property was correctly occupied. However, as the named HMO licence holder, he was ultimately deemed responsible.
Cllr Hunt, cabinet member for community safety, said: “Residents living around HMOs can be assured that the council will go after landlords and agents who don’t stick to the rules. People living in shared housing must not be exploited.
“We will be tough on rogue landlords – there are no excuses. The warning is stick to the rules.”
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