A landlord faces a total of £15,702 in fines and costs after being found guilty at Watford Magistrates Court of nine offences relating to the safety of tenants at his rented property in Bishops Rise, Hatfield.
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Mr Pindi das Madan, 69, of Greenway Gardens, Barnet was found guilty on Thursday (18 October) of nine of the 11 offences that were presented to the court by Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council at a three day hearing last week, in respect of offences relating to his rented property.
The charges included several issues concerning fire safety at the property at 21Bishops Rise, Hatfield, among them that means of escape from fire were not kept free from obstruction for a number of reasons. Some smoke detectors had been removed and the Emergency Lighting did not work. Fire Doors to several rooms and areas of the property were also found to be defective, and some exit doors were a fire safety hazard as they could be kept locked.
Evidence was given by officers from the council, Herts Fire and Rescue Service and a former tenant of Mr Madan.
Mr Madan was found guilty of nine breaches of the Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation- Regulations 2006 (“the Regulations”).
These charges were part of 11 charges brought by the council for breaches of these Regulations following an inspection by the council’s Private Sector Housing Team in September 2011.
The Court imposed fines and costs of £15,702, which also included a victim surcharge of £15.
In a separate prosecution by the Police, Mr Madan had been convicted of blackmail in the St Albans Crown Court, on 11 September 2012 He was sentenced on 12 October 2012 to six months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, 150 hours Community Service, and ordered to pay compensation and costs.
The blackmail was in relation to Mr Madan trying to get a tenant of Bishops Rise to take the blame in relation to some of the charges related to the current court case. Council officers were involved in supporting the Police’s prosecution by giving evidence in the blackmail trial.
Herts Fire and Rescue Service assisted the council by undertaking their own inspection of the property and by giving expert evidence in support of the Council’s prosecution.
Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council is responsible for licensing high risk Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO’s) and dealing with complaints regarding the standard of properties. There are over 300 licenced Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) in the borough.
Because this landlord has now been convicted of these offences he would not be a ‘fit and proper’ person, which means he cannot hold an HMO licence.
Councillor Roger Trigg, Executive Member for Housing and Community said: “This is a very satisfactory outcome for the council and follows a three day hearing involving 11 safety breaches which, if not dealt with, could have led to serious injury and even death.
“To protect the safety of tenants in the borough, the council wants to work with private landlords as much as possible. We regard prosecution as a last resort, but we would like to send out a clear message to landlords who do not respond to the advice, information and support that we provide, that we will take enforcement action against landlords who do not comply with the law.
“We run a Private Landlords’ Forum in partnership with the National Landlords Association three times per year, which aims to provide landlords with a networking opportunity. This also gives key information about local issues, changes in the law and good practice.”
Councillor Trigg added that the council also ran an annual seminar for letting agents as well as launched a Landlord Accreditation Scheme (PAL) last year, in conjunction with the university. This scheme aims to recognise landlords who are managing their properties to a good standard, and to encourage these properties to be improved and maintained to a high standard.
Roy Wilsher, Director of Community Protection and Chief Fire Officer, said: “Keeping fire exits and escapes routes clear and well maintained could be the difference in saving a life. Landlords need to take this matter seriously and ensure fire safety regulations are properly followed in all their properties. The safety of residents is our main priority and action will be taken if landlords do not comply with the law.”
The Partnership Accreditation Scheme (PAL) can be contacted on: http://www.pal-online.org.uk/
