A university lecturer has been fined after pleading guilty to letting a property without an HMO licence.
A letting agent has pleaded not guilty in connection with the case and is reportedly to face trial.
Landlord Dr Obas Ebohon, of Leicester, let the home to seven students.
At the city’s magistrates court he pleaded guilty to four charges – failure to apply for an HMO licence, failing to display his telephone number and address at the house, failing to ensure the boundary walls of the house were safely maintained, and failing to ensure the windows and ventilation were maintained to a safe standard.
Leicester City Council prosecutor Nicki Agalamanyi said that Ebohon had been reported to the council by a tenant who suspected he did not have an HMO licence.
She said: “When the property was inspected, officers found faulty fixtures and fittings, a fire door which didn’t close or provide a safe means of escape, cracked plaster on the ceiling, a faulty lock on the front door, one shower wasn’t working and another shower was blocked.
“An outside wall was falling down and one of the bedrooms had a cracked window frame and cracked glazing.”
For Ebohon, solicitor Shabir Mirsa said that his client was under the impression that the letting agent, IPS Leicester, was responsible for the upkeep of the house.
Ebonon was fined £1,500 for failing to apply for an HMO licence and £500 for failing to display his contact details. He was given a conditional discharge for the other two offences. He was also ordered to pay £1,025 towards the council’s costs and a £120 victim surcharge.
The Leicester Mercury reports that IPS Leicester has pleaded not guilty to seven charges relating to the case and will appear in court on January 15 for a trial.
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