A rogue 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 hearing at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on 18 February – just over a year after being convicted of the same offence relating to the same property.
The court heard that in September 2024 officers from Peterborough City Council's Housing Standards team inspected outbuildings at a home in Clarence Road in Peterborough, which were occupied by a family of five.
The property, which was housing three young children, was found to still be uninhabitable with a wide range of disrepair and Category 1 hazards including inadequate heating and fire safety measures. Officers also found that the dwelling was too small to be reasonably occupied by an individual.
Khan was previously found guilty of failing to comply with a prohibition order relating to the same building in January 2024.
He did not attend the court hearing but was convicted in his absence and fined £800, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £320 and the council's costs of £600.
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.
Councillor Alison Jones, Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities 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