A ROGUE landlord has been fined £8,500 after he failed to act on a series of housing breaches at a flat in Poole.

Mahmut Gilgil has already been banned from letting or managing property in the UK for five years.

He has now been hit with the financial penalty following enforcement action from BCP Council.

One of the breaches related to overcrowding in the first floor property in Blandford Road, which is above a kebab shop.

There was an issue with people occupying a room with no natural light or ventilation and a cupboard at the address.

The property also required a series of repair and improvement works.

Three notices from BCP Council ordering Gilgil to take action were served in July 2019.

However, an inspection in June last year found all of them were being breached.

Officers reported that there were eight people living in the house in multiple occupation (HMO) flat.

BCP Council decided to prosecute Gilgil and the case was heard before magistrates in Poole on Wednesday, April 21.

The defendant, whose address was given as Blandford Road, Poole, did not attend the hearing.

The case proceeded in his absence.

He was convicted of charges of failing to comply with a housing improvement notice and failing to comply with a housing prohibition notice.

Gilgil, 44, was further convicted of failing to comply with a housing overcrowding notice.

Magistrates issued an £8,500 fine, with a requirement to also pay £500 costs and a £190 victim surcharge.

A collection order for the money was ordered by the bench.

Kelly Ansell, BCP Council’s service director of communities, said: “The safety of occupants within the private rented sector is a top priority, and BCP Council has a duty to ensure this priority is upheld.

“On this occasion, our Private Sector Housing Team issued three enforcement notices to the property, however following an inspection in June 2020, the landlord had failed to adhere to the requirements of all three notices, including undertaking necessary works to ensure the property was safe for occupation, therefore we had to prosecute for these offences.

“It is unfortunate that the notices given were breached and the correct standards were not met, but ensuring housing is both safe and legal is paramount and the council will take formal action against landlords where these standards are not being maintained.”

A BCP Council spokesperson confirmed the property is being monitored by the housing team.

As reported, in June 2020 Gilgil became only the second landlord in England to receive a banning order which barred him from letting or managing housing in the UK.

He was banned for five years from June last year.

If he breaks the order he could be jailed or given a financial penalty of up to £30,000.

In May 2019, Gilgil was convicted of 12 offences of failing to comply with Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation.

He was fined £3,000 and ordered to pay costs of £3,425 and £30 surcharge to fund victim services.

These breaches included fire regulations, maintenance of common areas and wider property defects affecting the safety and welfare of the tenants.

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