A landlord who endangered the lives of his tenants has been prosecuted and fined for failing to comply with 16 issues over the regulations over HMOs. 

Luigi Gino D’Antonio, from Woking, pleaded guilty to 16 offences of failing to manage an HMO. The offences included the fire alarms being inadequate, numerous electrical faults, the entrance gate padlocked preventing access to emergency services, a chimney breast removed leaving the house structurally unstable and failing to provide gas and electrical certification.

D’Antonio was fined £10,000, ordered to pay Woking council’s costs totalling £2,961.37 plus a victim surcharge of £120 – a total of £13,081.37.

Last October council officers visited the property following a complaint concerning the poor condition; they discovered it in what they called “an advanced state of disrepair” and relayed their concerns to D’Antonio.

In November another site visit was carried out, this time finding additional breaches; another visit in March of this year revealed breaches remained and D’Antonio had still not provided the council with the electrical and gas safety certificates.