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Harrow Council shuts down unlicensed HMO after complaints of anti-social behaviour (14 June 2017)

Date: 14/06/2017
Duncan Lewis, Legal News Solicitors, Harrow Council shuts down unlicensed HMO after complaints of anti-social behaviour

Harrow Council in northwest London has taken action over a string of anti-social incidents, which affected homeowners in Kenton.

Residents complained of others urinating in their gardens, spitting and littering in full public view. They also suffered non-stop loud music, constant loitering and “strange comings-and-goings” at all hours.

On raiding a semi-detached home, council officers say they discovered a “death trap”, with a dozen occupants crammed inside – and no safe fire exit; overloaded extension cables, and just a single toilet shared between occupants, without it being connected to the water supply.

Harrow Council gave the landlord a one-week ultimatum to get rid of the tenants and agree to fix his unsafe house – which he duly did.

Harrow Council Divisional Director for environment and culture, Simon Baxter, said:

“These tenants behaved terribly – but they also lived in terrible danger.

“They were the landlord’s responsibility and we will not tolerate our neighbourhoods becoming a haven for illegal and disgusting behaviour.

“Now his tenants are all gone, we’ll leave it to him to explain things to his long-suffering neighbours – and his bank manager.”


The state of the property was so bad that officers banned the use of the second floor until the property was brought up to scratch.

The council is now working closely with the landlord to make sure the property is made safe and operating with a House of Multiple Occupancy (HMO) licence.

If the property goes back into disrepair or becomes overcrowded, legal action will follow, said the council.

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