Rogue landlords in London have been ordered to pay £7,177 after lettng an unlicensed HMO and failing to keep it safe for tenants.
Naveen Seth had previously admitted charges of operating an unlicensed HMO, failing to comply with an improvement notice and breaching the housing regulations. He has now appeared for sentencing at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court.
Savita Seth had also admitted a single charge of operating an unlicensed HMO and appeared at the same hearing alongside Naveen.
The now estranged couple are the legal owners and managers of a three-storey property in Hillingdon, where five unrelated individuals lived.
The court heard that in November 2024, a complaint was made to the council by a tenant at the property regarding water penetration, damp and electrical issues. A subsequent, unannounced inspection by council officers revealed the property was operating as an HMO without a licence and uncovered multiple breaches of management regulations.
These included missing mains-wired smoke detectors, inadequate fire doors, obstructed escape routes, unserviced fire extinguishers, along with dirty conditions and general disrepair.
The council served an improvement notice requiring all issues to be resolved by March 2025.
But at a subsequent inspection in April 2025, officers found it had not been complied with. A month later, the fire brigade was called to the property due to a smoking hob and noted the lack of fire doors – one of the items the improvement notice had required to be addressed.
The court was told that each defendant had a previous conviction for fraud which was taken into consideration during sentencing.
A council spokesperson says: “We recently announced stronger powers to monitor and control the impact of HMOs, to protect residents and tenants, safeguard neighbourhoods, and support responsible landlords who follow the rules.
“This prosecution shows how seriously the council takes these matters. Poorly managed HMOs can have a significant impact not only on tenants, but also on neighbouring residents and the wider community, particularly where properties are not properly managed.”
Naveen Seth, 57, was fined £657, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £263 and the council’s prosecution costs of £5,268.
Savita Seth, 56, was fined £253, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £101 and prosecution costs of £585.
This article is taken from Landlord Today