Brent landlord fined more than £7,000 for failing to licence flat

A landlord in Brent has been slapped with £7,400 in costs and fines after renting out an unlicensed flat.

The unlicensed two-bedroom flat in Tunley Road, Harlesden, came to the attention of enforcement officers after the family complained to the council about their broken boiler.

Brent London Borough Council subsequently uncovered that landlord, Errol Roy Thompson, had failed to make payment for a £340 five-year selective licence for the property.

Mr Thompson initially pleaded not guilty last year but changed his plea to guilty at a trial at Willesden Magistrates' Court, on February 6.

Mr Thompson had begun to fill out an application for a selective licence in June 2016 but had failed to complete and pay the licence fee.

The Bedford resident is not the first double-dealing landlord to be discovered in Brent.

The council has won 125 prosecution cases against rogue landlords, agents and subletters since 2016.

The convictions have resulted in more than £730,000 in fines.

More than £100,000 worth of civil penalties against rogue landlords, agents and subletters have been issued since their introduction in September 2017, with the council collecting £63,500 of these fines to date.

Cllr Harbi Farah, cabinet member for housing and welfare reform, said: "Mr Thompson was also sent a letter which specifically told him his property required a selective licence.

"His failure to pay £340 has resulted in fines of more than £7,000 and a criminal record.

"The law is clear that any landlord who rents out a property in Harlesden, Willesden and Wembley Central needs a selective licence."

Keep up to date with the latest news in west London via the free getwestlondon app.

You can set up your app to see all the latest news and events from your area, plus receive push notifications for breaking news.

Available to download from the App Store or Google Play for Android .