Two student landlords have been fined £8,000 each this summer for letting properties illegally.

Mohammed and Amaad Afzal failed to obtain Houses of Multiple Occupation licences for their student lets on Regent Terrace and Estcourt Avenue.

Leeds City Council was alerted to the issue after tenants in one house complained of poor maintenance and deposit problems. The Gryphon understands ‘proactive work’ was also undertaken to identify the unlicensed properties.

The landlords, who let with Base Properties in Hyde Park and now defunct North Lane Properties in Headingley, were forced to pay a total £16,000 fine plus £3,350 costs. S

peaking to The Gryphon, Union Housing Specialist Jenna Isherwood said, ‘In our experience, where landlords are failing to obtain licences, tenants are likely to discover other problems too’.

She added, ‘The council are prepared to take action if landlords don’t comply with their obligations. No HMO licence should be a big red flag to prospective tenants’.

HMO licences are required in properties of three or more stories and rented to at least five tenants who share an amenity such as a kitchen or bathroom. Although required by law, landlords can be deterred from applying as licences cost several hundred pounds.

Students who have signed a contract with Base or North Lane Properties or with Mohammed and Amaad Afzal are encouraged to contact the Student Advice Centre.

Charlotte Mason