A Landlord has been fined over £43,000 after magistrates were told of the unsafe and filthy conditions in two of his Bradford properties.
Hasan Kazi blamed his tenants for the state of the buildings, telling the court, “It was hard to understand the depths of their bad behaviour”.
Kazi, 76, of Laisteridge Lane, pleaded guilty to nine charges relating to two houses on Easby Road when he appeared at Bradford and Keighley Magistrates’ Court in February.
And on Wednesday, he returned to the court to be sentenced for charges including failing to comply with HMO regulations, failure to comply with an emergency prohibition order, and failing to comply with an improvement notice.
The court heard that many of his tenants were vulnerable and had previously been homeless.
Some of the charges related to 8 Easby Road, a terraced property that had been divided into six flats.
On 29 November, 2023 Council housing officers received a call from West Yorkshire Fire Service. A crew had been out to the property, and decided the “poor condition” of the building needed to be raised with the Council.
Imran Hussain, prosecuting the case on behalf of Bradford Council, said officers found “significant disrepair and serious safety hazards”.
He listed some of the issues found by Council officers, which included evidence of a rodent infestation, garden spaces filled with waste and rubble, cracks and damaged walls, damp, damaged fire doors that meant some could not be closed, ceilings in danger of collapse and shower curtains held up with string.
A door in one flat could not close, and the tenant had to prop furniture up against it to keep it shut.
And the water storage area for one flat was “ineffective” – with one tenant telling officers they had not had hot water for over two years.
Mr Hussain said due to the risk of serious harm, and fire safety concerns, the Council issued an emergency prohibition notice on the property. It urged Kazi to make improvements, and prevented people from living in the property until work was done.
The property was re-inspected on 6 December, but “many hazards remained” and the flats remained occupied.
Mr Hussain said: “There was a further inspection on 6 March and the required works had still not been fully completed. It was still occupied in breach of the emergency prohibition order.”
Kazi was interviewed last May and admitted he was responsible for the property.
Mr Hussain then told magistrates of the issues with the other property – 14 Easby Road.
The terraced house had been a licenced HMO since 2019.
Image: Flickr
In February 2024, the Council received a complaint about rats and damp at the property, leading to officers inspecting the HMO.
Visiting the premises, officers saw evidence of cockroaches as well as broken bathroom tiles, broken ceilings, holes that meant daylight could be seen through some walls, dirty conditions in the kitchen, inadequate facilities that meant tenants were unable to have a bath, issues with broken fire doors and significant damp and mould.
An improvement notice was issued requiring improvements to be completed by May.
When the property was inspected in June there had been improvements made, but many others were not completed, and there was still evidence of cockroaches in the kitchen.
The Council decided to prosecute Kazi for his failures as a landlord.
The court’s legal advisor read out a statement prepared by Kazi saying: “My main point I’d like the court to understand is problem tenants.”
He said many of his tenants led “chaotic lives” and had issues with drugs and alcohol addictions.
He added: “It is hard to understand the depths of their bad behaviour. They destroyed the fabric of the building for no reason.”
He said many of his tenants had been sent his way by Bradford Council in an effort to provide homes for rough sleepers.
Explaining why people were living in his unsafe properties after he had been ordered to close them down, he said: “They wanted to stay put, what was I supposed to do? If I had kicked them out they would have been on the streets.
“With these people, wherever they go they won’t be able to live in a civilised manner.”
He told magistrates he had been “overwhelmed” by the number of improvement notices.
The court heard he owned 12 properties in Bradford, and these brought him £150,000 a year in income. However, he claimed he made no profit from this, and that he had to dip into his private pension to pay bills.
He said many of his tenants were “extremely happy” with their accommodation, adding: “If you go to every house you’d be able to find something that needs doing.”
Magistrates said the descriptions of the properties painted a picture of “significant disrepair and filth” but the most significant issue was the fire safety shortcomings in the properties.
They fined Kazi £43,470 and ordered him to pay a £2,000 surcharge and costs to Bradford Council of £2,200.
He has 12 months to pay.
