A Surrey landlord has been fined more than £31,000 after running a 21-room house in multiple occupation (HMO) which local authority officers described as a “firetrap”.
Reigate and Banstead Borough Council took Epsom Pars Limited to court after council officers repeatedly warned it against continued non-compliance to no avail.
The company was notified of the works it needed to undertake and the timescales to complete them, but it ignored the warnings.
Officers who visited the property described it as “cold”, “damp”, “filthy” and a “firetrap”.
Following continued noncompliance, the council decided to prosecute the company for the offences due to their number and severity.
Epsom Pars Limited pleaded guilty to 48 criminal charges, including various forms of disrepair and fire safety offences, at Staines Magistrates Court last month.
The court ordered the company to pay fines, costs and a victim surcharge totalling £31,840.
During sentencing, the court noted that the problems identified had put tenants at risk.
