Javaid Lone – a landlord based in Swindon – has been served with a fine for more than £16,000 after breaking numerous housing laws.
Swindon Magistrates’ Court heard that 59-year-old Mr Lone had permitted 15 tenants to live in a substandard guesthouse he owned in the town.
The landlord allocated one of his tenants a converted bathroom and also erected a makeshift structure in the living room, without getting appropriate permission, in order to ensure another bedroom could be made in the already overcrowded property.
Two adjoining properties – 31 and 33 County Road – had been converted into a single dwelling that provided a shared kitchen and bathrooms along with numerous bed-sit spaces.
However, there was a lack of suitable fire exits incorporated into the conversion; smoke alarms had been covered over; and hazardous electrical wiring was discovered on site during a local council inspection, which posed a risk of fire.
Swindon Borough Council officers also found that the communal spaces were unhygienic, while only one kitchen was available for use by all the tenants.
Mr Lone began to cooperate with the council following their findings, to ensure the minimum safety and living standards were met.
However, during the summer, another council inspection uncovered a multitude of new issues at the property including rat droppings in the kitchen as well as an unpaid electricity bill amounting to £9,598, which meant that the power supply had been cut.
The court heard that Mr Lone earned £9,000 a year from the property, but he pleaded guilty to 13 breaches of housing regulations at his hearing and was ordered to pay £16,650 in fines and £1,500 court costs as a result.