Landlord's £1,400 bill for breaching rules

A LANDLORD was ordered to pay more than £1,400 for failing to meet licensing requirements on his properties.

Ayaz Hussain Bhatti (56), of Queens Road in Sheffield, failed to submit the required paperwork to Rotherham Borough Council.

Bhatti, who owns properties at Belmont Street and Holmes Lane in Holmes, failed to attend Sheffield Magistrates’ Court and was found guilty in his absence.

When interviewed by the council, he admitted he may have been “naive” with his applications but denied being obstructive.

Bhatti was fined £666 for failing to license a property under the Housing Act 2004 and £440 for not complying with a legal notice from the council.

He was also told to pay £273.74 costs and a £44 victim surcharge, bringing the total to £1,423.74 at the November 15 hearing.

Cllr Dominic Beck, RMBC Cabinet member for housing, said: “Our housing officers gave Mr Bhatti a number of opportunities to provide the necessary paperwork but he repeatedly failed to provide satisfactory information.

“We will continue to take legal action when landlords fail to licence within reasonable timescales to ensure that standards continue to be maintained in the private rented sector for the benefit of tenants.

“I would like to thank the majority of landlords who are working with the council to improve standards, and call on those who aren’t to come on board.”

Both properties in Holmes are subject to the council’s selective licensing policy, introduced in 2015 to improve property standards in the private rental market.