Landlord fined over £15k for rotting floorboards, mould and fire safety issues in Luton property

A landlord has been fined more than £15,000 after dangerous issues were found at a property he owns in Luton.

Luton Council found that there were a ‘significant number of dangerous features’ inside the property on London Road owned by Hazmar Fauz of The Avenue, Welwyn.

The council said the issues included rotting and unsecured flooring blocking fire escape pathways; missing and covered heat detectors; disconnected door self-closing devices; an ill-fitting fire door and a general lack of fire detection devices. It added that damp and mould were also found.

In a statement, Luton Borough Council said Fauz had failed to display the correct certification and contact details at the residence – which meant Fauz had amounted to a gross neglect of his responsibilities to the tenants and a breach of his licence.

In court Fauz pleaded guilty to the charges. The magistrates took this into account, but underlined the serious nature of his offences, particularly with regard to fire safety contraventions.

He was fined £10,800 and ordered to pay £4,888 costs and a victim surcharge of £190 at the rate of £300 per month with the first payment due on July 7.

The council said Fauz had previously been prosecuted for house in multiple occupation (HMO) offences in 2021 when he was fined over £20,000.

Councillor Tom Shaw, portfolio for housing, said Fauz’s actions were ‘intolerable’. Cllr Shaw explained: “This is another good result for our Rogue Landlord Project – and for tenants throughout Luton. It is a reminder to all landlords that with their position comes legal responsibility.

“In this case, it was especially worrying that the inactivity of the landlord placed the tenants at risk of significant harm.”

He added: “It is simply not enough to make legally binding commitments on paper and then fail to stick by them.”

The Rogue Landlord Project is a partnership with the Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue service, Bedfordshire Police, the Luton Law Centre and the Luton Citizens Advice Bureau.

If you have concerns about rented HMO accommodation phone 01582 547222.