A rogue landlord who converted a bungalow in Egham, Surrey, into a 15-room unlicensed House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) has been sentenced by a judge. The case highlights the serious issue of unregulated rental properties and the risks they pose to tenants.
Mona Jetwani, 53, a nursery assistant, had given the converted bungalow as her address. She had previously pleaded guilty to 10 charges under the Housing Act 2004.
The charges included operating an HMO without the required licence, failing to provide a Gas Safety Report, and neglecting to comply with fire safety regulations. Additionally, she failed to meet several regulatory requirements regarding room sizes, access to washing facilities, and other key standards.
District Judge Cooper ruled that Mona Jetwani should be fined £12,000 and ordered to pay a £2,000 victim surcharge. The initial fine had been set at £18,000 but was reduced due to Jetwani’s early guilty plea, demonstrating some level of cooperation with the legal process.
The prosecution was brought against Jetwani by Runnymede Council, following anonymous tip-offs that the bungalow was being used as an illegal HMO. Investigations revealed a number of breaches of housing regulations.
During the investigation, Jetwani and her brother initially responded aggressively to the council’s attempts to inspect the property. In an alarming escalation, they even threatened to undress a baby in an attempt to create a safeguarding issue, presumably to deter further council visits.
When officers eventually entered the property, they discovered that poor construction methods had been used to create 15 separate spaces within the bungalow. The conversion clearly failed to meet the necessary standards for an HMO.
Access to the showers and toilets did not comply with HMO regulations, and none of the rooms were large enough to meet the legal requirements for occupancy. There was also just one small kitchen and only two bathrooms, which was insufficient for the number of tenants living in the property.
In addition, the property had significant issues with maintenance and safety. Mould was growing on the floor and ceiling of one bathroom, which also had penetrating damp. There were too few smoke alarms installed, and several of the 15 ‘rooms’ had large gaps in the plasterboard partitions, which offered inadequate fire separation. Some rooms were also without windows, meaning they lacked natural light, further exacerbating the substandard living conditions.
Council staff had to crouch or kneel to access certain rooms in the loft space, as the ceiling height was so low. The living conditions were shockingly poor, with some tenants only having camp beds to sleep on, highlighting the substandard nature of the accommodation.
Each of the 15 tenants paid between £85 and £125 per week to live in the bungalow, despite the dangerous and overcrowded conditions.
Further inspections revealed that some of the rooms were as small as 3.48 square metres, far below the minimum legal size for rooms in an HMO property. The smallest acceptable room size in such properties is 6.51 square metres, meaning many of the spaces were grossly inadequate for habitation.
A spokesperson for the council stated, “Our first thought is for the people who found themselves living in these dangerous conditions; hopefully, they have since found safer and more suitable accommodation.”
“This bungalow was in an appalling state. Our environmental health staff cannot recall another instance where a landlord attempted to profit to this extent. People’s lives were put at risk because of these living conditions, and what should have been a family home was turned into a cash cow,” said a council spokesperson.
“Those running HMOs need to operate within the regulations for very good reasons. This prosecution stemmed from anonymous tip-offs, and we would strongly encourage anyone who suspects an HMO is being run dangerously or without a licence to contact us. It took over a year to resolve this case, but we do not give up when safety is at risk.”
The spokesperson further noted, “The majority of landlords operate their properties within the law, but the sentence in this case should serve as a wake-up call to the few who do not, no matter where they are in the borough.”
As District Judge Cooper delivered the fine, he remarked, “These people were low-income, English was not their first language, and they were vulnerable.”
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