Mr Justice Arifa Smart was the owner and landlord of a property in Hillingdon Street, SE17 which was inspected by Southwark Council and found to be operating as an unlicenced House in Multiple Occupation (HMO).
Mr Smart failed to respond to requests by Southwark Council to provide information or alternatively to apply for a licence and as such was left with no other option but to refer the matter for prosecution.
Mr Smart was found guilty at Croydon Magistrates’ Court on 8 January 2025 and failed to attend the sentencing hearing on 20 January where he was fined a total of £1,980 for the failure to licence his property, failure to produce documentation and failing to provide information relating to the occupation of the property, in addition he was also subject to a victim surcharge of £792 and costs of £1500.
The landlords of unlicensed properties can also be made the subject of a Rent Repayment Order if the tenants of an unlicensed property make a request to the First Tier Tribunal, this can result in the tenants receiving a refund of their rent from their landlord.
Councillor Natasha Ennin, Cabinet Member for Community Safety & Neighbourhoods, said: "Unscrupulous landlords have no place in Southwark. This case sends a clear message that we will not tolerate rogue landlords who ignore their legal responsibilities and put tenants in harms way.
“Tenants deserve to live in safe conditions and we are committed to upholding our licensing requirements. We urge all landlords to comply with the law or face the consequences."
More information on the council’s licensing schemes can be found on the Southwark Council website.