A landlord of a House of Multiple Occupation or HMO based in Coventry has been fined £60,000 by Coventry City Council for the property being badly managed and also unlicensed.

Coventry City Council fined the landlord after complaints were made by the occupants of the HMO saying they had no electricity or gas.

Environmental health officers from the Property Licensing and Housing Enforcement team visited the property and realised that it was an unlicensed HMO and that the property had multiple breaches of HMO Management Regulations.

A Council scheme that was introduced across the city back in 2020 means that all houses of multiple occupancies in Coventry need to have a license.

The cabinet member for housing and communities at Coventry City Council David Welsh commented “The making of this Interim Management Order sends a clear message to landlords – if you do not license your property the council can and will use its powers to take over the running of your HMO. The level of the financial penalty notice highlights the severe punishments that can be levied to those who flout the law. These fines are then ring-fenced for use by the team to further their enforcement work.”

Adrian Chowns, Property Licensing and Housing Enforcement Manager also commented saying “Our Officers have worked tirelessly in the city to promote the HMO licensing scheme and to ensure that where landlords abandon their duties and responsibilities, the team is ready to step in to protect tenants and use of the full range of enforcement powers at their disposal.”

Receive a Quote