Fine for unlicensed housing landlord

A landlord who rents out a house of multiple occupation in south Manchester has been fined £10,000 after failing to apply for a property licence.

Edward David Murray, 47, of Parkwood Road, Baguley, was fined £10,000 at Magistrates' Court for operating an HMO without a licence, and ordered to pay £1,550.83 court costs and £120 victims of crime surcharge.

Murray lets a large three-storey property in Rippingham Road in Old Moat, South Manchester.

Despite continued efforts by Manchester City Council to work closely with the landlord to fill in a licensing application, as well as being offered several extensions to the deadline, Murray did not submit an application.

A mandatory house of multiple occupation licence is required for any property that has three or more floors, five or more tenants, forming two or more households who use shared facilities as these properties carry the highest fire safety risk for residents.

The scheme was introduced to better regulate the highest risk properties in the private rented sector and ensure a common high standard for tenants – including improved property management, improved property condition and high fire safety standards.

Cllr Sue Murphy, Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council, said: "Landlord licensing is in place to ensure the best possible safety standards for tenants and a consistent high quality in the private rented sector – and when landlords flout legislation they put their tenants lives at risk.

"Properties managed by poor landlords can easily blight communities and put tenants' lives at risk so we are pleased the courts recognise the seriousness of the offence and imposed a fine fitting to the circumstances of the offence."