Kensington and Chelsea Council have successfully prosecuted a landlord over poor housing conditions, including fire and damp risks, at a house in multiple occupation (HMO) in Hyde Park Gate.

A detailed investigation began in 2020 after the council received a complaint from a tenant of the 22-bedroom property, which was being used as a house share. Officers found that landlord Mohamed Ali Rasool was unlicensed to run the HMO and failed to acquire a licence even after being repeatedly warned to do so. This HMO licence is required for properties that have five or more tenants in them.

Following the council visit, the Met Police and London Fire Brigade also visited the property, where officers found a series of fire safety breaches. They included:

  • Defective and damaged fire doors
  • Inadequate fire separation between bedrooms and protection in the boiler room or lobby
  • Covered fire alarms
  • Burnt out and loose electrical sockets

The council added that tenants were cooking inside their rooms using “camping-style facilities without proper kitchen facilities”. The property also had rising damp and mould growing, with “single glazed windows with rotten frames, draughts, and broken sashes”.

On 1 November 2023 at Westminster Magistrate Court, the property management company, Blackstone Properties Management Limited, and landlord Mohamed Ali Rasool, were found guilty of putting tenants at risk. They were ordered to pay £240,000 each, including costs for “several breaches of HMO management regulations in the Housing Act”. As Inside Housing reports, the total fine was £480,000 – believed to be one of the highest ever given for an illegal HMO offence.

Lead member for planning and public realm, Councillor Cem Kemahli said: “Let this judgement be a clear lesson to other landlords and agents – if you are offering poor quality accommodation, we will find you and we will come after you.

“We want the best homes in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Our landlord licensing schemes are seeking out the bad operators to ensure safer homes for everyone and a fairer market for good operators.

“Privately rented homes form a crucial part of our housing mix, but they must be up to scratch. Our teams stand by to help and assist landlords in answering concerns or offering suggestions about how to improve your properties."