A landlord has been heavily fined for housing a family in a prohibited property with several hazards for a second time.
Tariq Mahmood Khan was convicted for Failure to comply with a Prohibition Order under Section 32 of the Housing Act 2004 during a recent hearing at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court – just over 18 months after being convicted of the same offence relating to the same property.
The court heard that in September 2024, officers from the council's Housing Standards team found that the prohibited property was occupied by a family of five. The home, in Clarence Road, which was housing three young children, was inspected and found to be in a poor condition with inadequate lighting, ventilation and fire safety measures. Officers found that the dwelling was also too small to be reasonably occupied by an individual.
Khan was first given the prohibition order in September 2016 and was found guilty of a breech in January 2024. Prohibition Orders are checked annually for compliance until they are lifted. Following the prohibition order being served, the property became empty therefore complying with the order, however, it then later became let, resulting in the first prosecution.
Khan pleaded not guilty to the latest charge but was found guilty post-trial and convicted. He was fined £1,000, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £400 and the council's costs of £1,500.
Given Khan’s repeat offending, the council will now consider applying for a banning order which will prevent him from operating as a landlord, as well as adding his details to the national rogue landlord database.
Jacqui Harvey, Head of Environmental Health, Licensing and Trading Standards at Peterborough City Council, said : "This prosecution should serve as a warning to the small minority of landlords who put their tenants at risk and flout the law. We will take appropriate enforcement action under the range of powers available to us if we discover landlords who flagrantly disregard the law.
“In this case, given that the landlord has repeatedly offended, we will now look at further measures to prevent him from operating as a landlord in future.”
If you have any concerns about the safety, suitability and/or management of a rented property in the city, please contact (01733) 747474 or visit https://www.peterborough.gov.uk/residents/housing/private-housing-advice