A Bognor Regis landlord has paid the price for flouting housing laws.

Peter Gurr, 62, owner of 62 Linden Road, Bognor Regis, was successfully prosecuted by Arun District Council at Chichester Magistrates Court for refusing to register his property as a House of Multiple Occupation (HMO).

Mr Gurr, of Angerstein Road, Portsmouth, was fined £4,000 and ordered to pay £3,100 in costs after ignoring warnings from the Council to properly license the house in Bognor Regis.

He had pleaded not guilty to the charge at an earlier hearing at Chichester Magistrates Court, but subsequently changed his plea to guilty.

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Housing laws require landlords to licence properties with three or more floors and five unrelated tenants as a HMO, as they can pose increased risks on issues such as fire safety. Mr Gurr was prosecuted by the Council after allowing the second floor of his property to be occupied, even though he had signed a written undertaking that he would not breach the laws.

The landlord also ignored a series of warning letters that were sent to both the house and his address in Portsmouth, each one containing the application form that he needed to fill out and submit to register the house as an HMO.

Arun District Council's Cabinet Member for Housing and Community Care, Cllr Robin Brown, who has responsibility for private sector housing, said: "Arun has many good landlords who abide by the law and with whom we work closely. Our message is clear and it is that we will not tolerate bad ones. We have a responsibility to protect tenants and ensure that the properties where they live meet basic public health and safety standards.

"Arun is a responsible enforcement authority and we will actively pursue all bad landlords who do not comply with the new housing legislation."

(CD/JM)