£34,000 fine for unlicensed five-bed Hammersmith HMO
Landlord Stevan Gorgievski has been given the huge fine for failing to get an HMO licence despite claiming it was his agent’s fault.
Landlord Stevan Gorgievski has been ordered to pay a £33,650 Rent Repayment Order (RRO) to his tenants and £700 in costs by a First Tier Tribunal over his unlicensed HMO in Hammersmith, West London.
The case was brought by five of his tenants who all gave testimony to both their multiple occupation of the property but also told the tribunal about its mouse infestation and the “aggressive” and “obstructive” housekeeper Lesley Nurse, who also lived there.
The conduct of the landlord overall was poor.”
The property, a respectable-looking Victorian terrace at 4 Biscay Road, W6 (pictured), is just off Hammersmith Broadway and in an area where there is an additional licensing scheme operating, requiring properties with three or more people from two different households to have an HMO licence.
Although Stevan Gorgievski had obtained a licence on 5th July 2023 after an application was made on 29th November 2022, the property did not have one at the time of the offence in 2021.
During the hearing, the landlord admitted “having control and management of an unlicensed HMO” but claimed that his previous agents (Kingsman) had failed to tell him to get a licence when it was managing the property.
At the time, however, the premises were being managed by Gorgievski because his agent, Kingsman had gone into liquidation.
Fines to double
As a result, the tribunal determined that it did not find: “The Respondent’s account credible and even if it was, the onus was on him to determine if the property needed a licence.”
It added: “The conduct of the landlord overall was poor. There were problems of disrepair and infestation, the occupation of the lounge by him and the housekeeper was a form of harassment. The conduct of the tenants was generally good.”
The tribunal ordered landlord Gorgievski to pay a £33,650.44 RRO to his 5 tenants and £700 in costs.
Under the new rules coming in the Renter’s Rights Bill, RPO fines are likely to double as tribunals can award two years’ rent to affected tenants rather than just one.
Read the Tribunal decision in full.
