Letting company fined £17,000 after failing to repair Telford HMO despite warnings
A Telford letting company has been fined nearly £17,000 after admitting breaching seven offences relating to the shared housing it was renting.
iHomes Letting Limited, based in Park Street, Madeley, pleaded guilty to seven offences of failing to comply with regulations in respect of management of housing in multiple occupation (HMO) when the company appeared at Telford Magistrates Court on November 30.
A HMO is a house where multiple occupants live and share certain facilities.
Magistrates fined the letting agency £16,970 after it admitted failing to meet a number of important safety regulations at its HMOs in Sutton Hill, Telford.
Following an inspection at the properties carried out by the council’s Private Sector Housing Team, inspectors found a number of defects were identified, which were in breach of the Houses in Multiple Occupation legislation and the Housing Health and Safety Rating System.
These included disrepair of the external brickwork to the rear garden patio, plastic cladding hanging off the gable end of the property, the bricked retaining wall leaning to the right of the entrance steps and multiple disrepair issues in the kitchen including, torn and lifted floor covering and rotten kitchen cupboards.
The inspectors found that iHomes Letting Limited failed to protect those living at the House in Multiple Occupation from the risk of injury arising from the poor conditions.
On a follow up inspection, the defects identified on the first inspection remained, resulting in iHomes being served with a notification letter requiring action to remedy the defects.
Despite receiving warning letters, the letting agency failed to remedy the breaches, which resulted in the council bringing prosecution action.
Councillor Richard Overton (Labour), Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Homes & Enforcement said: “The safety of our residents is paramount to our council. Letting agents and landlords who fail to provide essential safety conditions in their properties endanger their tenants.
“Our council’s housing enforcement team plays a vital role in ensuring people in rented accommodations across the borough have a safe and secure property to live in.
“The recent prosecution of iHomes shows that our council is well prepared to hold letting agents accountable when needed, supporting tenants in Telford and Wrekin with their concerns.”
