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A millionaire landlord who ordered his tenants to pay for repairs to their privately rented homes was ordered to repay almost £36,000 in compensation.
Benjamin Lam was told he could not deliberately ignore house in multiple occupation (HMO) licensing laws, nor his duty to maintain the homes he rents out in good repair, by the judge at a First Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber).
Lam must pay a £35,813 rent repayment order following complaints from four tenants that he repeatedly refused to repair a broken boiler at a flat in Hyde Park Mansions, Transept Street, London.
He told the tenants, "This high maintenance cannot go on. This is not a serviced apartment."
The tribunal heard Lam insisted tenants should pay for their repairs on a 'user pays' principle.
The tenants tipped off Westminster Council about the state of their flat. An inspection revealed health and safety issues from damp and mould.
The landlord alleged the damp arose from the tenants drying washing in the flat without opening windows, but offered no evidence to support his claim.
Lam explained he was unaware the flat needed licensing, but the judge dismissed his excuse as he had a £50 million international property portfolio and had the resources and experience to take professional advice.
Upholding the claim for a rent repayment order, the tribunal judge said:
"[Mr Lam] is a commercial landlord with a large international property portfolio. His tenants have been exposed to poor and dangerous conditions, which were prolonged by his ignorance and the failure to license. That ignorance was not inadvertent but deliberate. The responsibility is his and cannot be ascribed to an agent."
Click the link for the tribunal decision:
The First-Tier Property (Property Chamber) handles a wide range of appeals in disputes over land, licensing, improvement notices, local authority civil penalties, and rent repayment orders.