A London landlord has been warned he could be given a jail sentence if he fails to pay a £13,000 fine imposed for not having the necessary licences for his bedsits.

It follows an unsuccessful appeal by Chuba Obi of Avenue Road, Enfield to overturn the outcome of an earlier hearing in July last year which found him guilty of two offences at a house of multiple occupancy (HMO) in the Haringey area.

On that occasion Obi was fined £6,000, and ordered to pay costs of £4,843.70 to Haringey council.

He was ordered to pay a further £2,519.10 in costs following his recent unsuccessful attempt to overturn the conviction during an appeal hearing. The court originally ruled that his fines had to be paid in instalments at £1,000 per month. Due to the time that has elapsed Obi was told he now has to pay the total of £13, 362.80 within two months or he could face a term in prison.

• A landlord pleaded guilty to two counts of failing to comply with an improvement notice served on him under the 2004 Housing Act recently.

The prosecution against Maurice Bailey, of Banks Lane, Appleby at Penrith Magistrates Court was instigated by Eden District Council after officers discovered fire hazards at two of his properties.

These included a lack of fire doors, fire detection systems and alarm systems at the addresses which had both been converted into flats.

Bailey was fined £2,800 for the offences and ordered to pay £350 costs to the council.