Landlord who let his tenants sleep on mattresses in a garden shed 'with no regard for their safety' is fined almost £6,000 

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A landlord who rented out a deathtrap house and a shed in his garden to tenants who slept on mattresses on the floor has been fined £6,000. 

Syed Junid Ul Hassan Shah, of Westcliff, Essex was prosecuted because his house had inadequate fire detection, a bedroom with no natural light and an outbuilding used as a 'bed in a shed'.

Shah ignored a number of warnings from Southend Council after complaints about his rental property first surfaced in July 2014.

Shocking: This is inside the dangerous Essex home Syed Junid Ul Hassan Shah rented to tenants who slept on the floor on mattresses

Denial: Shah refused to properly licence this outbuilding as a rented property so has been prosecuted 

Accusations: Planners also believed he may have been hiding how many people lived inside his shed

Planners ordered him to improve safety and natural light in the property as well as licence his outbuilding as it emerged he may have been hiding how many people lived there.

But after failing to do so last week he was found guilty of failing to comply with three prohibition orders and failing to licence his house as a multiple occupation home (HMO) at Basildon Magistrates' Court.

Four prohibition orders were served due to a number of problems at the property, including inadequate fire detection, a bedroom with no natural light, and the use of an outbuilding as a bed in a shed.

Shah, of Glenwood Avenue, Westcliff, Essex, claimed repair work had been completed in November 2014, but a further site visit showed minimal works had been completed inside the house and that the outbuilding was still in use as a room for sleeping.

A ground floor room was still being used as a bedroom, and a second floor room which had no fire detection was also being used as a bedroom.

Evidence suggested even more people were living at the property than on other inspections.

It is not clear exactly how many people were living there because it is thought he may have been hiding true number.

Problems: His property also had inadequate fire detection equipment and a bedroom with no natural light

On Thursday, November 27 last year, Southend Council sent Shah a letter requesting he licence his property as a house in Multiple occupation, known as a HMO. He failed to do so.

Shah was fined £750 for each prohibition order offence, and £1,000 for the HMO offence.

He was also ordered to pay a £100 victim surcharge and prosecution costs of £2,469. 

David Norman, councillor responsible for housing, said: 'There is simply no excuse for this sort of behaviour and I am delighted that this landlord has been brought to book.

'No one should be living in conditions like this, where there is little if any regard for safety or the welfare of tenants.

'I am very concerned to see 'beds in a shed', and would urge anyone that is aware of any similar practices to report them to Planning Enforcement immediately.'