A letting agent has been fined nearly £12,000 after finding tenants for an illegal House in Multiple Occupation, and for using the ARLA logo when it was not a member. Other fines were levied on the woman who ran the agency, and its director.

A commercial building in Luton had been illegally converted to residential use and Cash Property Management was contracted to find tenants.

After being inspected by the local council and fire officials, the building was shut down and 45 people made homeless.

At Luton magistrates court last Thursday, Cash Property Management’s director Safeel Ahmed and his stepmother Ashi Ahmed pleaded guilty to telling two tenants that their monthly rents of £450 included council tax.

In fact, no council tax was paid by anyone at the property, and tenants’ deposits had not been protected.

Ashi Ahmed pleaded guilty to regulations breaches in using the ARLA logo when not permitted and failing to place tenants’ deposits in a secure scheme. She was ordered to pay £2,770 in total.

Safeel Ahmed  pleaded guilty to using the ARLA logo when not permitted and failing to supply information to Trading Standards. He was made to pay £922 in total.

Cash Property Management as a company pleaded guilty to five offences. This entailed misleading two tenants that council tax was included in their rent, failing to supply information to Trading Standards, using the ARLA logo when not permitted and failing to place tenants’ deposits in a secure scheme. It was ordered to pay £11,870 in total.

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