AN UNSCRUPULOUS landlord found to be in serious breach of management regulations has been ordered to pay nearly £3,000.

Abdul Raza Saddiqui, aged 50, of Parkhill Road, Bury was found guilty of a number of breaches to his legal obligations as a landlord.

Saddiqui was fined £1,200 with £2,452 costs and a £30 victim of crime surcharge after being found guilty of 12 housing offences.

Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) licences are mandatory for properties with five or more unrelated people who share a property comprising of three or more storeys. The legislation is in place to ensure minimum safety standards – including fire safety and gas safety – for shared houses.

On August 4, 2017, council officers, accompanied by officers from Greater Manchester Police and the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, visited a property on Seymour Road, Crumpsall, owned by Saddiqui.

The teams were responding to reports of serious concerns relating to tenant safety at the property and the general condition of the building and its surrounding yard.

The visiting officers found a catalogue of breaches of management regulations including: no working fire alarm, damaged fire doors, cluttered escape routes, broken heating facilities, damaged kitchen units, and filthy and verminous common areas.

At a hearing at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on April 18, Saddiqui pleaded guilty to 11 offences of breach of HMO regulations, and one offence of a breach of a condition of his HMO licence.

Cllr Bernard Priest, Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “There’s no place for rogue landlords in Manchester. Landlords have a responsibility to provide their tenants good quality, safe housing and we take the issue of tenant safety extremely seriously.

“We will continue to pursue enforcement action to defend the rights of tenants and will not hesitate to take legal action against anyone whose property fails to meet the required standards. Our message to landlords is simple – bring your property up to standard, make sure your tenants are safe and get a licence where the law requires one.”

Information and advice about how to report problems in your home can be found at:

manchester.gov.uk/tenantadvice

The Private Rented Sector is the fastest growing housing type in the city and is an important resource to ensure we have enough high quality homes to meet rising demand. Landlord licensing - both HMO and selective licensing schemes - ensure the private sector meets minimum safety standards.