By Sammie Jones-
An unscrupulous landlord who put 16 people into a four-bedroom house in Wembley that was converted into unlicensed bedsits has been fined.
Willesden Magistrates Court heard Ali also failed to licence the property, and ignored safety regulations by failing to install adequate smoke alarms or mandatory fire doors. Bearing the same name as the legendary boxer, Mohammed Ali, this landlord behaved like a rogue with no concern for the well being of his tenants.
Failing to make an appearance in court, he was convicted of the offences in his absence, under the Housing Act 2004.
He was fined £6,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1,318 and a victim surcharge of £170 – a total of £7,488. His negligent conduct made life hell for the families in question.
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Letting agents, Easy Let Homes, which collect rent on Ali’s behalf admitted offences under the Housing Act 2004 and was fined £450 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £45.
Brent Council’s lead member for housing, Harbi Farah, told the eye of media.com: “Given the serious overcrowding and poor fire safety in this house, we could easily be reflecting on a much more serious crime here.
“The contempt Ali has shown for this legal process by not even bothering to turn up for sentencing speaks volumes.
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“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.
“Failure to licence your property could result in an unlimited fine and a criminal record.”
Ali was aware of the rules and has no excuse for flouting them. All prospective tenants in the Brent area of London should take note of this landlord’s name, and be very wary of his services.
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