A landlord who attempted to claim that it was exempt from HMO licensing regulations has been fined £15,000 after Lewisham Council prosecuted him for leaving his rented property in unsafe and dangerous conditions.

Paul Banks who owns a four-storey house in Jerningham Road SE14 has been prosecuted following a visit to the property in May 2009 by Council officers, following a complaint from one of the tenants. It was discovered that Banks was in the middle of converting three of the floors into self-contained flats. Fourteen people were found to be living in rented rooms even though the house resembled a building site.

During the inspection of the house officers found an absence of electrical power to parts of the house, unfinished kitchens and bathrooms, waste water discharging onto the ground, open unprotected trenches and dangerous electrics.

Eleven contraventions of the regulations that govern houses in multiple occupation (HMO) were found, including: an absence of safety measures; unmaintained drainage and electricity; damp; disrepair; an absence of satisfactory fire precautions; numerous health and safety hazards and failure to maintain common parts, fixtures, fittings and appliances.

In his defence Banks claimed that it was exempt from HMO licensing regulations by stating the house had upgraded facilities and a rearranged layout. Having multiple occupants living in the house, however, meant that it was governed by HMO regulations, which are designed to ensure that properties being rented are fit and safe to live in.

Banks was fined £13,000 for failure to comply with HMO management regulations and an additional £2,000 for failure to licence the property and £2,000 in costs at Woolwich Magistrates Court recently.

Cllr Susan Wise, Cabinet Member for Customer Services, said: “People who pay rent in good faith have the right to expect safe conditions in which to live.

Lewisham Council is keen to work with responsible landlords, preferring to work with them to improve their properties. However, we will prosecute those landlords who fail to ensure that their properties are managed properly, putting the health and safety of their tenants at risk.”