A London council has successfully prosecuted a property agency for letting a 9.7 square metre bedsit with kitchen facilities.

Clear Summer Limited was ordered to pay fines and costs totalling over £13,000 at a hearing held at Highbury Corner Magistrates Court, after being found guilty of failing to comply with a Prohibition Order relating to a property in West Hampstead. 

Camden council enforcement officers inspected the property in early 2025 and found the room which featured a bed and cooking facilities measured at just 9.7 sqm.

The space was assessed as too small to be safely let and the highest level of crowding and space hazard under the Housing Act 2004. 

The room also breached food safety requirements, due to the lack of space for the tenant to safely store food.

Officers served a Prohibition Order in April 2025, preventing the room from being occupied as sleeping accommodation.

A further inspection in October 2025 found that the bedsit had been re-let for £700 per month to a new tenant, therefore breaching the Prohibition Order.

The company was found guilty in their absence after failing to attend the hearing and submitting no representations in respect of the proceedings. 

The court imposed a fine of £5,600 with a victim surcharge of £2000 and granted Camden Council’s costs of £5,494 payable within 28 days. 

Details of the prosecution will also be added to the Greater London Authority’s landlord checker database – where private renters can check future potential landlords.

A council spokesperson says: “It’s unacceptable that this company profited from residents living in dangerously cramped conditions, showing no regard for crucial safety legislation.

“We want everyone to live in a home that is safe and secure. 

“With over a third of households in Camden privately renting, we will not hesitate to take robust action against any companies or landlords treating tenants unfairly and putting them at risk.”