Rogue Doncaster landlord fined £5,000 for poor management and fire safety issues

Almas Rashid of Thorne Road, Doncaster attended Doncaster Magistrates on 30th January and pleaded guilty to seven offences under the Housing Act 2004 relating to two houses in multiple occupation (HMOs). The offences included: failure to obtain a licence from the council for each property, failure to comply with an Improvement Notice after an inspection from the council found both properties in disrepair and non-compliance with HMO regulations relating to fire safety and poor management of the properties.  Rashid also pleaded guilty of not providing the council with relevant documents to help the investigation at one of the properties. He was ordered to pay £400 per offence, £2,800 in total, costs of £2,579.73 and a £40 victim surcharge. Cllr Glyn Jones, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Housing and Equalities, said: “This positive court result sends out a clear message to landlords. The council takes reasonable effort to secure compliance with the law by a process of advice and education. However, where appropriate, we will not hesitate to take tough action against landlords who fail to comply with licensing rules as we strive to drive up standards, improve safety for tenants and reduce the negative impacts experienced by some of our communities.” Both HMO’s in Wheatley are fully occupied