26th February 2010
Bradford Council has taken over management of an HMO from a landlord after a tenant complained that maggots were falling through cracks in his ceiling.
Brahim Taleb, of Silverhill Drive, Bradford, was served with an interim management order by the council after he was fined nearly £5,000 for repeatedly violating the terms of his licence conditions. It is the first time the council has served a landlord with an IMO.
EHOs visited Mr Taleb’s HMO property in Studley Road, which is home to six tenants, in July 2008 and found the property had no hot water or heating. The fire alarm system was also out of order and the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service was called to install a battery-operated smoke detection unit.
Mr Taleb was served with an improvement notice, but a further inspection in August revealed a number of Housing Health and Safety Rating System category 1 and 2 hazards at the premises.
Mr Taleb was found guilty in his absence of three offences under the Housing Act 2004, including failing to comply with licence conditions, management regulations and an improvement notice.
At a sentencing hearing at Bradford magistrates court in November Mr Taleb was fined £4,865 with costs of £8,477.
Chair of the bench Christine Bielby said: ‘We consider that this man has been such a bad landlord that it is inappropriate for him to hold a licence — he has taken advantage of vulnerable people.’