Rogue landlord convicted of breaching HMO banning order
A rogue landlord has been convicted of ignoring an order that had banned him from letting houses in multiple occupation.
David Beattie admitted breaching the order when he appeared before Shropshire Magistrates’ Court in Telford on Monday (August 9).
He was the first landlord in the country to receive such a banning order when he entered a guilty plea in February 2019. The council then applied for a banning order.
Although the ban remains in force until August 2024, the court heard that Mr Beattie ignored it and let out a property in Woodside between June 2020 and November 2020.
The order was originally sought by Telford & Wrekin Council. It barred him from letting housing in England, engaging in English letting agency work or engaging in English property management work for a period of five years
The council's cabinet member for enforcement, community safety and customer services, said he was disappointed with Mr Beattie's actions.
Councillor Richard Overton said: "We are extremely disappointed that Mr Beattie chose to ignore the banning order, and we want this to be a reminder that we take such matters very seriously. Protecting the people in our borough and ensuring they have a safe place to live is at the forefront of everything we do.”
At a tribunal hearing in August 2019, The Property Chamber in Birmingham heard that Beattie was not a fit and proper person to hold a licence for a house in multiple occupation (HMO).
Such a licence is legally required for a rental property in which five or more people live as two or more households.
Sentencing has been adjourned to October 18, 2021.
