Letting agent and his landlord fined £3,000 over missing licence

A letting agent his landlord have been found guilty by a court of operating a rental property without a licence.

Tunde Coker of Alpha Property Services and his landlord Rashidat Adebukola Edekunle-Mohammed were sentenced at Croydon Magistrates’ Court after pleading guilty.

The Neg could find no address or branch for Alpha Property Services nor any evidence that it is operated through a limited company, nor that Coker or his ‘company’ are members of a redress scheme and therefore operating legally.

The case concerned a rented home on Havil Street in Camberwell (main image), South London which had been rented out to a family who reported the landlord to the London Borough of Southwark over their home’s defective heating.

Upon investigation, it was found that the property fell within the council’s selective licensing area and was being rented without the required licence, despite both the landlord and letting agent being notified of the obligation to license the property.

Fines

The court ordered Edekunle-Mohammed to pay a total of £1,128 in fines and costs, while Coker was fined £2,256. Both amounts were reduced due to their early guilty pleas. It is unclear whether the tenants are aware that could be owed thousands in rental payments via a Rent Repayment Order as well.

“This case demonstrates our commitment to holding landlords and letting agents accountable when they fail to meet their legal obligations,” says Councillor Natasha Ennin, Cabinet Member for Community Safety & Neighbourhoods.

“Licensing ensures that rented properties in Southwark are safe and well-maintained for our residents.

“We will continue to take action against those who put tenants at risk and encourage residents to report unscrupulous landlords.”