Fined: Landlord who left tenants in damp Willesden house with no hot water or heating

Khalid Latif and his agents PMC Management and Collections were fined £20, 630 for failing to license run-down Chandos Road property (Image: Archant)

Khalid Latif and his agents PMC Management and Collections ignored repeated warnings from Brent Council’s private housing services to make the property in Chandos Road, up to standard.

The six tenants who lived in the four-bed house complained to the council about their poor living conditions, which included no hot water or central heating, rotten and damp fittings and scant regard for basic fire safety rules.

Watford-based Latif, who has owned the run down property since 2000, was earning more than £2,500 per month in rent from the tenants.

Brent Magistrates Court heard that Brent officers had contacted both Latif and PMC Management and Collections repeatedly over the course of eight months and visited the house on several occasions to find no repairs had taken place.

They were both convicted of failing to licence the property.

Both parties were fined £9,500, with £695 each in costs and £120 each in victim surcharge, a total of £20,630.

Cllr Harbi Farah, Brent Council’s lead member for housing, said: “Unlicensed, unsafe properties like this are a danger to the entire community and it is unacceptable that anyone in London should have to rent a property that lacks basic facilities like hot water.

“The vast majority of landlords and lettings agents in Brent are honest and law abiding, but we take a zero tolerance approach to the minority who think they can treat their tenants like this.

“Our licensing scheme ensures that landlords maintain their rental properties to a decent standard.

“If you’re a landlord, failure to licence your property could result in an unlimited fine and a criminal record.”