Property agent fined £13k for serious House in Multiple Occupation safety breaches

A Salford managing agent has been fined more than £13,000 for serious safety breaches in House in Multiple Occupation (HMO).

Student-Haus pleaded guilty at Tameside Magistrates’ Court following action taken by Salford City Council after an inspection at the HMO where the company was found  breaching critical safety regulations.

In failing to comply with The Licensing and Management of HMO Regulations 2006 following an inspection in November 2023, carried out by Salford City Council, Student-Haus has been ordered to pay a £6,600 fine, £4,500 in costs and a victim surcharge of £2,000.

Student-Haus was found guilty of three offences relating to fire safety breaches.

The three offences included breaches of:

• Regulation 4(1)(b) The manager must ensure that all means of escape from fire in the HMO are maintained in good order and repair.
• Regulation 7(1)(a) The manager must ensure that all common parts of the HMO are maintained in good and clean decorative repair.
• Regulation 7(1)(b) The manager must ensure that all common parts of the HMO are maintained in a safe and working condition.

Salford City Council said it strongly encourages landlords to take immediate action to ensure their properties meet the required standards, focusing on key compliance areas and adopting a proactive management approach.

It said this will not only help in avoiding financial penalties but also in ensuring the safety and wellbeing of tenants.

Cllr Tracy Kelly, Lead Member for Housing and Anti-Poverty, said: “I’m pleased with this outcome, which clearly reinforces the importance that tenants deserve to live in safe and well managed properties.

“This action by the court and through civil penalty notices issued by the council should be a warning to other landlords to check they are meeting all their obligations.

“Negligent landlords who put tenants’ health and safety at risk have no excuse to abandon their legal duties.

“Residents of Salford living in HMOs can be assured that the council will take action against landlords and agents who don’t stick to the rules.”

A HMO can be a bedsit, shared house or flat occupied by more than one household and more than two people, with shared kitchens or bathrooms.

In 2023 Student Haus was the subject of a BBC investigation that it added a signature to a waiver form saying the tenants were aware a property in Salford had “outstanding maintenance to be completed” when they moved in.

Student Haus, part of the Mistoria Group, claims to be the North West of England’s “leading student accommodation search and property management agency”.

Student-Haus has removed all images of its Salford properties from its company website. Only images of its Liverpool properties remain.