Fine of £2,525 after four year licensing and overcrowding saga
An investor has been fined £2,525 after failing to licence her property and allegedly providing inadequate living conditions for her tenants.
Adeola Makinde was found guilty of failing to licence her property in Chafford Hundred as a house in multiple occupation following a trial at Basildon Magistrate’s Court.
The court heard that Thurrock council had been requesting a HMO licence application from Makinde since 2014, but no application was made.
An inspection in July 2017 found that the property contained 12 people living in four rooms and sharing a single kitchen. It also uncovered inadequate fire safety measures and a number of issues with the condition of the property.
Makinde pleaded not guilty to failing to licence the HMO, three breaches of HMO management regulations, failing to return information about the house and failing to return documents, but magistrates deemed her actions were unreasonable and found her guilty of all six charges.
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