A landlord has been fined almost £5,000 after being found guilty for a second time of operating an illegal HMO.

Souhil Laib, director of Laib Property Investment Ltd, owns eight-bed East Court Flats (main image) on East Road, Tylorstown, in the Rhondda Valley and was originally told that he needed a licence in March 2022, following a building survey report confirming that his converted property didn’t meet building regulations.

The firm, which has only one director, is late filing its paper work at Companies House, and is facing being struck off. Its most recent accounts show the property investment firm has liabilities significantly in excess of its assets. Records show it has mortgages for two properties, in London. Land Registry records show East Court was originally bought as individual flats, each selling for an average of £25,000.

Environmental Health Officers at Rhondda CynonTaf County Borough Council worked with Laib for two years, during which time inadequate fire precautions were also found at the house. Another inspection revealed that the communal area had no lighting, damp and issues with the stair treads. He was served with an Improvement Notice requiring him to resolve the issues, but a lack of action meant it was then referred to Merthyr Magistrates Court.

Laib and his company were found guilty in their absence in March 2024 of operating an unlicensed HMO, and given a combined fine of £2,278.

No response

He was told the property still required an HMO licence and that if a licence application was not submitted within twenty-one days, then further enforcement action would be considered. As he failed to respond, the matter was referred to court, and Laib was again found guilty by magistrates.

Laib and his firm were both fined £770 for operating withouta licence, £215 costs and a £308 surcharge. In total, the combined fine forboth convictions are almost £5,000.

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Councillor Bob Harris (pictured), cabinet member for Public Health and Communities, says this prosecution should be seen as a strong warning to landlords that they must comply with the rules or face the consequences.

“Landlords have a duty to proactively manage all of their properties, routinely identifying and resolving problems as they arise and Mr. Laib ignored a multitude of attempts, which not only broke the law but could have put the safety of his tenants at risk,” he adds.

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