Six rogue landlords have been fined a record of nearly £100,000 for leaving their renters in horrific conditions with broken windows, vermin, mould and damp.

Four weeks of prosecutions by Brent Council has seen six successful results with total court fines for rogue landlords adding up to £97,727, the highest amount recorded by Brent in such a short period.

Courts heard evidence of broken windows, damp and mould, insufficient heating and dangerous gaps in the front door meaning cold conditions and vermin made conditions unbearable.

Harlesden property had two children in 'poor conditions'

Bernard Patrick McGowan has been ordered to pay more than £40,000 for failure to licence a flat and taking into account disrepair issues in the property with two children living in poor conditions.

He was ordered to pay £41,488 (£40,000 fine, £1,318 costs, £170 victim surcharge) in relation to a property in Craven Park, Harlesden, by Willesden Magistrates Court on February 9.

Landlords were fined nearly £100,000 in the space of 4 weeks by Magistrates Court in Willesden

McGowan, of Watling Street, Radlett, was also fined for licensing breaches of another property he owns at 149 Tokyngton Avenue, Wembley. He was additionally ordered to pay a total of £6,902, including a £5,000 fine, £1,732 costs, £170 victim surcharge.

The manager of the property, Michael Zanon, of Oxford Street, London, was also fined £3,402.

Two companies of which Zanon is Director, Vera Accommodation Ltd and Nathaniam Ltd were also fined £7,902 and £3,902 respectively at Willesden Magistrates Court.

'Dangerous condition' in property but they never respond to notices from tenants

On January 31, Willesden Magistrates Court fined five defendants a total of £18,700 for licensing offences.

The charges were failure to licence a shared rented house, breaches of management, failure to respond to notices from a property in Monks Park, Wembley.

The property was in a potentially dangerous condition, with no fire protection, defective lighting and disrepair to stair coverings.

The courts decided that sufficient fire safety protection was not included in the property

Two defendants - Zulfiqar Bhatti of Barby Road, Ladbroke Grove and Rozina Bhatti, from the same address, were convicted for licensing breaches and fined £8,970 and £8,370.

Three defendants were convicted for failing to provide the council with information about the occupiers - Adeel Tahir Bahatti was fined £165.

Ian Taylor and Raheel Tahir Butt, both of Monks Rd, Wembley, were fined £930 and £165 respectively.

Two women fined for management regulations

Willesden Magistrates also fined the landlords of a house in Sudbury Avenue, Wembley on January 19 for failure to licence a shared home and for failing to "comply with management regulations".

Alshad Ladha, of College Court, London, and Diana Nemes, of Montpellier Road, W5, were fined a total fine of £5,585.

On January 26, another prosecution at Willesden Magistrates Court resulted in a fine of £4,998 for Griegore Lowas in respect of a house in Girton Avenue, Roe Green, for licensing breaches after he sub-let the property.

Abaraonye 'sub-let her tenancy' which had no fire protection and people renting in an unconverted loft

A few weeks before that on January 12, Willesden Magistrates Court fined Patience Abaraonye in respect of failure to licence a house and breaches of regulations.

This was an example of the "rent to rent phenomenon" which has increased in recent years where a property is rented and then sub-let for more money than the original rent paid.

Willesden Magistrates Court, High Road, Willesden

Abaraonye had sub-let her tenancy at Draycott Avenue in Kenton despite not living at the address, creating a house which required a licence.

The property was found to have no real fire protection measures and safety hazards in areas such as the staircase.

There were even tenants at the property occupying an unconverted loft only accessible by a ladder.

Abaraonye pleaded guilty to the offences, she was fined a total of £4,848.

A council spokesman said: "Tenants should be aware that Rent Repayment Orders can be awarded against landlords where prosecutions have been secured against rogue landlords.

"Tenants may be able to claim back up to 12 months of rent paid via the Residential Property Tribunal."

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