Birmingham City Council has successfully prosecuted a landlord who failed to obtain House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) Licences.
David Delaney Hall from Edgbaston was found guilty at Birmingham Magistrates Court of failing to apply for HMO Licences for six of his rented properties in Selly Oak, which were let to students.
He was fined £3,000 per property, plus prosecution costs of £2,072, taking the total cost to £20,072.
Hall owns a total of 21 student properties in the Selly Oak area, some of which he owns outright and Abrex Ltd and SJA Properties Ltd, companies on which he serves as a director alongside his wife, own the others.
Since April 2006, there has been a requirement to licence houses of three storeys or more, occupied by five or more tenants, who have no family connection and share amenities such as a bathroom or kitchen.
The licence ensures that management standards and housing conditions in the private rented sector are maintained and includes requirements for basic safety including gas, electrical and means of escape from fire.
The council had written to Hall and made visits to his property on a number of occasions, advising him to licence his properties prior to starting legal proceedings.
But despite this effort, Hall ignored advice to apply for the licences.
Cabinet Member for Housing, Cllr John Lines said: “I am determined to ensure all Birmingham tenants, including students who often have to share accommodation with a number of other individuals, live in safe housing and my officers gave the landlord every opportunity to apply for a licence.
“The council has now licensed over 1,400 properties and I recognise there are many good landlords in Birmingham but there is no room for landlords who fail to comply with the law and put their tenants’ lives at risk.”
Following the instigation of the legal proceedings, Hall submitted applications for HMO Licences to the council.
The Video Inventory Agency (TVIA) has appointed Tom Derrett as its new non-executive director.
Launched in 2009 by property investor Frazer Fearnhead, TVIA offers video inventories designed to protect landlords’ assets.
Derrett, aged 33, from Llandogo in Monmouthshire, has previously worked with disadvantaged tenants in social housing.
Trained in law, he has previously worked as an adjudicator for a deposit protection scheme.
Derrett also runs his own company, ADR Solution, which provides professional advice to landlords using the deposit protection schemes’ dispute resolution services.
Speaking of the new appointment, TVIA director Frazer Fearnhead said: “Tom brings with him a wealth of property experience and expertise that will prove invaluable to the continued success of TVIA.
“We look forward to delivering the benefits of his insight directly to our customers.”
In his role as non-executive director, Derrett will manage TVIA’s deposit resolution service, which guarantees to handle and advise every deposit disputes through to completion, free of charge.
Derrett will also contribute to the company’s overall business strategy.
He said: “TVIA provides a hugely valuable service to landlords right across the UK. I feel very excited to be a part of a company that is helping to revolutionise the residential property market.”
