Northampton landlord handed council's biggest ever housing-related fine for 'squalid and hazardous' house

A Northampton landlord has been fined £50,500 for a string of offences at his property - the largest housing-related penalty ever handed out by the council.

Zaheer Uddin Babar was first contacted by Northampton Borough Council in 2015, requesting that he license the house on Colwyn Road, Abington, as an HMO (house in multiple occupation).

Following five more requests, the private sector housing enforcement team inspected the property with eight tenants under warrant in June 2019.

They found several issues, such as missing handrails and banisters on the staircases, a partially collapsed and waterlogged ceiling, a faulty fire alarm and fire door and exposed electrical wires.

A range of other problems were also discovered, including broken external door locks, faulty windows, along with damp and mould, while the kitchen and bathroom were filthy and in a poor state of repair.

Cabinet member for housing and wellbeing Stephen Hibbert said: “The conditions in this property were squalid and hazardous, and posed a real danger to the tenants living there.

“Landlords have a legal responsibility to ensure that properties are clean, safe and in working order for their tenants, and our housing enforcement team will continue to take action against such failings, through their extensive surveillance work and information received from local residents.”

Two improvement notices were issued as a result of the inspection. Mr Babar appealed to the First Tier Tribunal which upheld civil penalties totalling £50,500.

He has paid £500 against one of the civil penalties and now has 28 days to pay the remaining amount, according to the council.

Failure to pay will result in the council taking action to recoup the debt, which may include enforced sale of his property.

The council is also working with the eight tenants to help them claim back up to 12 months rent from their landlord.

Anyone suspecting that a property may be operating as a HMO can report it to the council by emailing [email protected] or phoning 0300 330 7002.