A ROGUE landlord who rented out a house to eight people without a licence has been fined £3,000.

Barclay Rogers, 38, of Preston Wynne pleaded guilty at Hereford Magistrates' Court to operating an unlicensed house in multiple occupation (HMO).

The four-storey house in Whitecross Road, Hereford was occupied by eight people over three floors, including a basement with inadequate fire precautions.

Rogers was fined £3,000 and ordered to pay £1,035 costs to Herefordshire Council, together with a victim surcharge of £120.

Marc Willimont, head of regulatory and development management services at Herefordshire Council, said: “This is a good result for the council and we are pleased that the fine reflected the seriousness of the offence.

"This landlord wilfully and deliberately put the lives of his tenants at risk, in this case vulnerable Eastern European workers, who would not have been knowledgeable about the housing and landlord obligations in the UK and who trusted that their accommodation was both safe and legal.

"This landlord cannot now be considered to be a ‘fit and proper person’ to hold a licence to operate an HMO under the Housing Act 2004.”

The council will continue their crackdown on rogue landlords in Herefordshire in partnership with the police, the fire service and immigration colleagues.

The council’s housing team is actively targeting rogue and criminal landlords who try to avoid licensing their HMOs and who let sub-standard poorly managed properties.

It is the responsibility of landlords to ensure that they comply with the relevant housing and fire legislation.

If you think your rented property should be licensed, or you are a tenant with concerns about the condition of your property, contact environmental health housing on 01432 261761, or go to www.herefordshire.gov.uk/housing.