A Peterborough landlord has been fined £13,936 and faces inclusion on the Rogue Landlord Database following convictions for multiple housing offences, including failure to address serious safety hazards and operating unlicensed rental properties.
Zahid Hussain was convicted in his absence at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court after failing to attend the hearing. The prosecution by Peterborough City Council followed inspections at properties in Stone Lane and St Paul’s Road.
Safety violations and licensing failures
Council officers discovered multiple defects at the Stone Lane property, including damp and mould, electrical and fire safety hazards, and inadequate heating. Inspectors found no evidence that gas appliances, the boiler or electrical installations met current safety requirements.
Despite being served with improvement notices requiring the defects to be addressed, Hussain failed to carry out the necessary work. The council also found he was managing properties in St Paul’s Road that required licences under Peterborough’s Selective Licensing scheme but had not obtained them.
The court imposed a £2,000 fine for failing to comply with improvement notices and £3,000 for each licensing offence, along with a £3,200 victim surcharge and costs.
Enforcement action
Councillor Christian Hogg, Cabinet Member for Regulatory Services and Enforcement, said: “I hope that this successful prosecution serves as a warning to the small minority of landlords who put their tenants at risk. We are fully committed to maintaining safe and well managed housing for residents and will take appropriate enforcement action under the range of powers available to us if we discover landlords or companies who flagrantly disregard the law.”
Similar enforcement measures have been taken in other local authorities, with Tower Hamlets issuing three-year bans to landlords for comparable offences in recent months.
Peterborough City Council confirmed it will now seek to have Hussain included on the Rogue Landlord Database, which records landlords and property agents who have committed serious housing offences. The database is accessible to local authorities across England to assist with enforcement and licensing decisions.
The case highlights ongoing regulatory scrutiny in the private rental sector, as councils exercise enforcement powers to address substandard housing conditions and unlicensed property management.
