A landlord has been found guilty of flouting housing regulations and fined more than £4000 following an investigation by Hillingdon Council.

Sandeep Bhambra, of Billets Lane, Slough appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates Court on 21 February for sentencing and pleaded guilty to five charges. He was fined £4000 as well as a £15 victim surcharge and ordered to pay £500 towards the council's legal costs.

The council's private sector housing team investigated the house in multiple occupation (HMO) on Hillingdon Road, Uxbridge after a tenant complained about a collapsed ceiling in her room as well as other problems in the property on 28 June last year. Officers visited the house on the same day and carried out a full inspection of the house, which is licensed to house 13 people. The investigation revealed the house to be in a filthy condition, with 16 people to be living in it, causing over crowding. Fire safety equipment had not been maintained, which also made the property unsafe to live in.

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Mr Bhambra was also found to be illegally letting out a self contained annex in the back garden, which is a repeated offence that he was investigated for in 2009. Tenants told council officers that they their repeated request to carry out repairs and improve the condition of the house had been ignored by Mr Bhambra.

Councillor Philip Corthorne, Cabinet Member for Social Care Health and Housing, said: "Tenants in the borough should be provided with safe and clean accommodation. Any landlord not managing their property to the appropriate standard will be investigated by Hillingdon Council and they could find themselves facing a hefty fine like Mr Bhambra."

(CD/GK)