A landlord has been fined £11,900 for operating two Houses in Multiple Occupation which were unlicensed for 18 months in one case and three years in another.
The landlord, Patrick Mullen of Bedford, had failed to act on council reminders that he should licence the properties potentially putting the safety of the tenants at risk and showing wilful neglect of his responsibilities as a landlord according to a court in Bedford.
The court imposed a fine of £6,000 for one property, £4,000 for another, and ordered Mullen to pay the council's costs of £1,300 along with a victim surcharge of £600.
Bedford has a significant private rented sector with many shared flats and housing which should not risk the safety of residents. In support of this, we have implemented a scheme of Additional HMO Licensing across the Borough to protect residents and drive up standards says councillor Sarah-Jayne Holland.
The Council did all it possibly could to work with the landlord in order to secure the safety of the properties and its tenants, by ensuring the properties were licensed in accordance with the law she says.
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