Rogue Landlord Loses Banning Order Appeal

A rogue landlord has lost a bid to overturn a banning order and could lose two rental properties as a court considers confiscating his assets.

Jahangir Hussain was convicted of building extensions without planning permission on two rental homes in Forest Gate, East London, by magistrates at Stratford Court.

The case was sent to crown court for sentencing and to determine if he should lose the properties or make a proceeds of crime payment.

Prosecuting, Newham Council also won Hussain’s appeal against a banning order that stops him from having any involvement in renting out homes in England for three years, including buy-to-let or shared houses he already owns.

Newham Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz said, “This banning order is a first for Newham. Mr Hussain has shown flagrant disregard of both housing and planning legislation, to the detriment of both his tenants and residents of the borough.”

Letting agent swindles landlords

Letting agent Linda Murray, 40, of Windermere, Cumbria, pleaded guilty to eight charges of defrauding landlords at Bolton Crown Court.

Murray, director of agency Let Me Lettings, based in Orrell, Wigan failed to pay seven landlords £6,000 she had collected on their behalf as rent and deposits at nine homes in Wigan and Skelmersdale.

David Birrell, prosecuting for Wigan Council, told the court that Murray charged landlords for placing deposits she had collected with a deposit protection service but kept the money.

She had contracts with landlords which said the deposits would placed in the scheme, sent emails saying money had been handed over and provided landlords with bogus documents purporting to come from the service.

The court heard deposits were not returned to the tenants or landlords, leaving the landlords to repay the money.

Corporate landlord wins harassment claim

A corporate landlord won a £300,000 harassment claim made by four tenants but was ordered by the First Tier Property Tribunal to repay them £21,150 in rent.

The claim concerned a flat rented by four tenants in Gosset Street, Shoreditch, East London. The flat was licensed as a shared home by landlord Mohammed Abdur Rahim in 2017, but he died in March 2021.

CL (City Lord) Wapping Estate Ltd took over collecting rent but only licensed the property in October 2022.

The company denied they were the landlord and were responsible for licensing the flat. The tenants claimed they had suffered stress and anxiety over the case, which the company denied. The tribunal agreed although the case was undoubtedly stressful, the company had not harassed them.

However, the tribunal ruled the company had tried to conceal the ownership of the flat and ordered the company to compensate the four tenants £21,150 under a rent repayment order.

HMO renters sleeping in shifts

A council was tipped off that renters slept in shifts in rooms above a village post office without a shared house license.

The unnamed landlord was fined £6,500 by Broadland District Council, Norfolk, for renting the property without a licence.

Housing officers watched the post office in the village of Blofield, near Norwich.

The surveillance established tenants were taking turns sleeping in the rooms in a routine that matched their shift work.