Three Oxford landlords fined £11,000 for housing offences

Mr Abdul Saleem Chaudhry, 66, of Headley Way, Oxford, was prosecuted after the Council’s environmental health officers investigated the Shezan restaurant he owned in High Street, Oxford in January 2016. Their visit identified three members of the restaurant staff living on the third floor in a high-risk unlicensed House in Multipple Occupation (HMO), with two fire-safety faults. 

At court Mr Chaudhry pleaded guilty to managing an unlicensed HMO and two breaches of the HMO management regulations. He received fines totalling £4,000 and was ordered to pay surcharges and council costs of £1,436.

Mr Shoukat Khan, 44, of Duke Street, Oxford, was prosecuted after the Council investigated the rented house he owned in Earl Street, Oxford in January 2016. The property was already a licensed HMO, but the inspection identified that nine conditions of his licence relating to fire safety and safety certificates had not been complied with. At court Mr Khan pleaded guilty to failing to comply with these HMO licence conditions. He received a fine of £2,000 and was ordered to pay surcharges and council costs of £1,375.

Mrs Deborah May Humes, 57, of Inott Furze, Oxford, was prosecuted after a council officer visited the rented house she owned in Inott Furze in March 2016. That visit identified three unrelated tenants in the house, which also lacked two working smoke alarms or a fire door to the kitchen. Mrs Humes pleaded guilty by letter to managing an unlicensed HMO and two breaches of the HMO management regulations. She received fines totalling £5,000 and was ordered to pay surcharges and council costs of £1,238.

Cllr Alex Hollingsworth, Board Members for Planning, Transport and Regulatory Services, said: "Oxford City Council will continue to pursue breaches of safety regulations for HMOs. We take this issue very seriously, and we urge landlords to make sure their properties comply with the rules."