Landlords fined thousands after failing to properly license houses with multiple occupation

Five landlords have each been fined £5,000 for failing to get a licence for their multi-flat houses.

Greenwich council uncovered the abuses at houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) under regulations which came into force in October 2017, making it a crime to let out a HMO in the borough without a licence.

One of the landlord’s properties, a four-bedroom HMO in Greenwich, was rented to four separate tenants and was identified following a resident’s complaint about the property.

Three of the landlords all have properties in Charlton – a five-bedroom, seven-bedroom and five-bedroom HMO.

The fifth landlord’s property is a five-bedroom HMO in Thamesmead.

The council’s investigations uncovered hazards from damp, mould and overcrowding.

One of the properties also posed a fire risk with no alarm, fire doors and it had overloaded electrical sockets.

Pictured top: Greenwich council’s offices