A rogue landlord behind two illegal Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) has been ordered to pay £26,486 following a Wigan Council investigation.

Ndumbe Achile Ndumbe operated two unlicensed HMOs at 1 Castle Grove and 153 Hope Street in Leigh, claiming they were occupied by fewer than five people and therefore did not require a licence.

Inspections by Wigan Council’s housing standards team proved that this was not the case, and they were vindicated by a Tribunal decision.

Coun Kevin Anderson, cabinet portfolio holder for police, crime and civil contingencies, said: “When run well, as the majority in our borough are, HMOs can play a vital role as a flexible, affordable housing option for people, often used by students, care workers, office workers.

“HMO licensing exists to ensure the safety, security and protection of tenants, and the overall condition of the property.

“Our teams are proactive in tackling that minority of rogue landlords, and this case demonstrates that we can and will take action against people operating substandard housing in our borough.”

All properties that are occupied by five or more people, from two or more households, that share an amenity such as a kitchen or bathroom must be licensed as an HMO.

The Tribunal noted that Mr Ndumbe was an experienced landlord and therefore should have known that these properties required licenses and found that he “intentionally or recklessly disregarded the law’.

Additionally, at 153 Hope Street it was found that there was a leak from the bathroom into a light fitting, and the fire and smoke detection system was inadequate; which resulted in an increased Civil Penalty for this property.

Coun Anderson, added: “Last year, Wigan Council introduced an Article Four direction across the whole borough; meaning all HMOs regardless of size, require a planning permission.

“This will ensure we can have greater control of HMOs in our borough and improve standards and safety for local residents.

“This case- the first HMO civil penalty that our team have taken to Tribunal- shows that we will investigate and enforce against landlords who do not get a license and place their tenants at risk.

“If you are a victim of offences relating to the above or have knowledge of HMOs in similar circumstances then please contact the Housing Standards Team at [email protected]”