Brighton's biggest landlord fine

Brighton Magistrates Court has handed out their biggest fine on record to landlord Muharram Kartal.

His HMO property at 28A Church Road in Hove; a four storey maisonette situated above the landlords own restaurant was found to have -

• an obstructed fire escape.
• unsatisfactory fire equipment and fire alarm.
• tiny bedrooms.
• 12 tenants breaching his HMO licence - maximum of 9.

The fine of £43,680 was seen by the court as 'equivalent' to the annual rent paid by the tenant of the property. Alongside the fine, Mr Kartal was ordered to pay £1,800 costs to the council and a £170 victim surcharge.

Chair of Brighton's housing and new homes committee, Anne Meadows, commented:

‘Residents in this property were not only living in over-crowded conditions without basic facilities, their lives were put in danger by an unscrupulous landlord taking their rent with little apparent concern for the safety of his tenants.'

Brighton & Hove Council secures massive fine against a rogue landlord who put his tenants ‘in danger’ https://t.co/oU277637Xx @EHN_Online pic.twitter.com/WZmWVVCex7

— The CIEH (@The_CIEH) May 3, 2017

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