THE LANDLORD of a property in Reading has been handed a £2,500 bill after failing to take proper fire safety precautions.

Mohammed Nazir, 58, of Crescent Road, also failed to properly license the house of multiple occupation (HMO) in Grange Avenue.

Reading Borough Council's (RBC) private sector housing inspectors visited the property in May 2017 following a report that the house was being used as an HMO without the required licence being in place.

Officers found seven students living in the property, and also identified a number of fire safety breaches, including inadequate fire doors and a broken smoke detector in one of the bedrooms.

Nazir pleaded guilty at reading Magistrates' Court on Friday, January 26 to offences under the Housing Act 2004.

He was ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £2,500.

RBC's lead member for housing, Cllr John Ennis said: "It is simply not acceptable for landlords of HMOs to flout regulations when it comes to the safety of their tenants. Most private landlords behave responsibly but this case demonstrates that the Council continues to stand up for Reading’s private renters.

“I am glad that our Private Sector Housing Team, with the support of our lawyers, are there to stick up for private renters and take action against the minority of landlords who fail to put in the required safety precautions.”