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Agents claimed to be sub-letting home as HMO without landlord’s knowledge fined nearly £40,000

A letting agency and several of its personnel who were involved in renting a property in order to then sub-let it as a HMO without the landlords’ knowledge have been slapped with fines totalling tens of thousands of pounds.

Easy Let Agency in Brent, London, whose personnel also operate under the name Focus Property Management Ltd, has been prosecuted at Willesden Magistrates Court for licensing and housing offences.

Both firms and several individuals associated with the businesses have been handed penalties in two separate court hearings last month, according to Brent Council.

In the first case, the owners of a five-bedroom terrace house in Gowan Road, Willesden, rented out their property to Claudio Crisafulli who was working as a freelance estate agent for Easy Let.

Crisafulli then illegally sub-let the house as an HMO behind his landlords’ backs.

Neighbours in Gowan Road complained to Brent Council about lots of people coming and going from the property.

Investigating officers found it difficult to track down the people responsible because Easy Let Agency was listed under a false address.

Easy Let company director Marcio Da Silva was fined £2,000 for failure to licence and a further £2,000 for breach of management regulations as well as £1,670 in costs on January 25.

Fellow director, Marcio Auriello Do Prado, was fined £3,000 for failure to license and £3,000 for breach of management regulations alongside £1,670 fines.

Claudio Crisafulli was fined £400 for failure to license and £400 for a breach of management regulations on top of £40 costs.

The agency itself was also hit with a £5,000 fine and £170 in costs.

The total fines and costs for the case amounted to £19,180.

In a separate sentence hearing on January 30, Focus Property Management Ltd was fined a total of £20,229 for management regulation and licensing breaches for another rented property in Tower Road, Willesden Green.

The matter is still subject to court proceedings and so few further details are available.

Cllr Harbi Farah, cabinet member for housing and welfare reform, said: “We will pursue estate agents and sub-letters who operate outside the law all the way to court.

“Sadly, we have seen that rogue operators in the private rented sector disrupt neighbourhoods and make tenants’ lives a misery.

“Brent Council will do everything to improve the standard of living in Brent.”

Source: Property Industry Eye

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Twickenham landlord prosecuted for letting out his house to more than five people without a licence

A Twickenham landlord has been fined nearly £5,000 for illegally renting out his property as a house of multiple occupancy (HMO).

Maksim Arnautov bought the three-storey home in Whitton Road, which is also where he lives, in 2012.

Under the Housing Act 2004, properties which have three or more storeys and are rented out to five or more people must have a license.

The council carried out an investigation last year and found that despite more than five people living in the property, Arnautov did not have a licence.

Following a hearing at Lavender Hill Magistrates’ Court on January 9, Arnautov was found guilty of operating a licensable House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) without a licence.

He was fined £3,000, must pay a victim surcharge of £170 and £1,466 to the council in compensation.

Councillor Mark Boyle, Richmond Council’s cabinet member for housing, public health and community safety, said: “Following an investigation by council officers, this is a great result.

“This prosecution sends out a clear message that unscrupulous individuals cannot hide.

“It is our job to protect tenants’ safety and we will take appropriate enforcement action if landlords fail to obtain a licence or manage their properties.

“I am pleased that the courts are supporting the council in this approach through the sentence and fine issued.

“The growing issue of HMOs in our borough continues to be a problem.

“And whilst we will continue all our work on the ground, we will continue to make it clear to the Government that it must prioritise action over HMOs before sub-standard, over-crowded housing, and all its flow-on effects begin to impact the character and quality of life within our borough.”

The case comes one week after the Government announced a crackdown on HMOs.

Source: Richmond & Twickenham Times