Oxford Council has undertaken a series of operations targeting unsafe Houses in Multiple Occupation. One of the three letting units that were targeted was situated on a property’s third floor, over a ground level restaurant. 66 year old Abdul Saleem Chaudhry was prosecuted after his Shezan restaurant, located in Oxford Street, was visited by environmental health officers from the Council back in January.
The officers discovered that three of the restaurant staff were residing on the third floor, in what the Council has described as a high risk HMO that had at least two major faults with its fire safety. Chaudhry pled guilty to a pair of breaches of regulations relating to HMO management, and to being the manager of an unlicensed HMO. He was given a fine of £4000 and ordered to pay council costs and surcharges of as much as £1436.
Another landlord prosecuted was 44 year old Shoukat Khan, who was fined £2000 and ordered to pay council costs and surcharges of £1375, following a council investigation of a rented city house that he owned. Although the house was actually a registered HMO, the council found that as many as nine licence conditions relating to safety certificates and fire safety were not being complied with.
57 year old Deborah Humes was the third landlord prosecuted, following a council visit in March to her rental property, which found it to be an unlicensed HMO lacking a kitchen fire door and working smoke alarms. Humes pleaded guilty, and was given fines amounting to £5000, with council costs and surcharges of £1238.
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