Two Reading-based landlords have been prosecuted after it was found that they had been renting out an unlicensed property.
Mohammed Zulfiquar Wahid, 41, and Mohammed Ghafoor Ahmed, 40, pleaded guilty to the offences of having control of or managing a house in multiple occupation without a current licence at Reading Magistrates’ Court.
The property – which is located in Pell Street, Katesgrove – was owned by Ahmed and managed by his brother Wahid. An investigation began into the property in November 2013 by Reading Borough Council’s private sector housing team, after a council officer was contacted by one of the six tenants.
The officers discovered that, despite the number of tenants living in the home, the property had been unlicensed as a house in multiple occupation since 2011. The council brought proceedings against the landlords and they were fined £4,000 each, plus £1,134 in costs.
Lead Councillor for Housing at Reading Borough Council, Richard Davies, told the Reading Chronicle: “Anyone renting out an House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) with three or more storeys and five or more occupants must have a license to do so.
“Tenants can check if their landlord has a licence on the Council website and if any landlord is in doubt about whether they need a license they should contact the council’s HMO team. The council will always stand up for residents who live in private rented accommodation. We take our regulatory duties for HMOs very seriously and will prosecute those who flout the law.”