Two Derby landlords fined after breaching housing regulations

Two landlords in Derby have been ordered to pay over £10,000 after being found guilty of breaching housing regulations.

Kevin Adrian Sutton, 57, failed to renew a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) licence for a property on Milton Street, where five unrelated students were living.

Despite receiving three reminders from Derby City Council’s Housing Standards team, Sutton took no action. An inspection confirmed the home needed a licence.

At South Derbyshire Magistrates Court, Sutton pleaded guilty to breaching Section 72 of the Housing Act 2004.

In a separate case, Ramzan Ali, 31, was prosecuted after tenants raised concerns about the safety of their home on Eton Road.

Ali failed to provide a Gas Safety Certificate or tenancy agreement, and a council inspection later identified nine hazards at the property.

Councillor Shiraz Khan, cabinet member for housing, strategic planning and regulatory services said: “Our Housing Standards team works tirelessly to improve living standards for private renters in Derby, with their safety and well-being being a top priority. These cases highlight to landlords that they absolutely must pay attention to the Council’s requests. If they decide to disregard their legal duties, we won’t hesitate to step in. I would encourage anyone with concerns about their rented property or their landlord to report this to our team.”

Sutton was fined £6,000 (reduced from £9,000 due to his guilty plea), ordered to pay the council’s full prosecution costs, and a £2,000 victim surcharge.

Ali was also found guilty in his absence on 10 March 2025. District Judge Jonathan Taaffe fined him £2,000, with a further £800 victim surcharge and full prosecution costs.