A Wembley landlord has been hit with a fine of nearly £92,000 after Brent Council uncovered serious HMO licensing breaches including severe overcrowding and dangerous living conditions. Sanjay Patel, the owner of a three-storey HMO with six bedrooms and a self-contained unit, was convicted at Willesden Magistrates Court of breaching multiple improvement notices. The court imposed a £87,000 fine, £2,000 victim surcharge, and £2,788 in prosecution costs.
Police complaint triggered investigation
The Metropolitan Police alerted Brent Council to concerns about an outbuilding at the property that had not been declared on the HMO application. Council officers found a couple and their four-month-old baby living in the outbuilding without access to heating or electricity. Investigators discovered the licensed property – which permitted a maximum of seven occupants – was housing more than 18 people. Four tenants were sharing a single attic room. This follows Landlord Knowledge’s report on Brent’s data-driven approach to finding unlicensed landlords, which highlighted the council’s proactive enforcement stance. The latest prosecution shows Brent is also pursuing licensed landlords who breach their conditions.
Fire safety systems failed
Council officers found smoke alarms throughout the property were not working and the fire alarm panel was not operating correctly, leaving occupants with no protection against fire hazards. Tenants also had no access to keys for locked windows, creating further safety risks. Recent NRLA research found councils collect just 25 percent of the fines they impose on landlords, raising questions about enforcement effectiveness. However, Brent appears to be among the councils actively pursuing prosecutions. Patel is now facing proceedings to have his HMO licence revoked and is awaiting a hearing at the Residential Property Tribunal.
What this means for landlords
- If you have an HMO licence: Ensure your property matches exactly what was declared in your application – undeclared outbuildings or conversions can trigger prosecution
- Watch for: Occupancy limits are strictly enforced. Keep records of who lives at your property and ensure you stay within licensed limits
- Bottom line: Fire safety compliance is non-negotiable. Non-working alarms and locked windows are serious offences that courts will punish heavily
Editor’s view
A £92,000 fine sends a message that serious HMO breaches will result in serious consequences. The involvement of a baby living without heating should concern every landlord – this is precisely the kind of case that strengthens calls for stricter regulation. Most landlords operate responsibly, but prosecutions like this remind the sector that enforcement is real.
Author: Editorial Team – UK landlord & buy-to-let news, policy, and finance
Published: 18 March 2026
Sources: Brent Council, Willesden Magistrates Court
Related reading: Brent hunts unlicensed landlords using data analysis
