Serial offender landlord fined £480k for damp-infested property

A rogue landlord who rented a 22-bedroom Kensington property infested with mushrooms and mould has been handed a £500,000 fine.

This followed an inspection of the property by Kensington and Chelsea council, which is on the edge of Hyde Park and near the Royal Albert Hall.

Residents were cooking on camping stoves due to the lack of proper kitchen facilities, while there were rotten window frames, defective fire doors, loose and burnt out electric sockets, as well as covered over fire alarms.

Mohamed Ali Rasool, 31, has become notorious for failing to keep his properties in adequate shape, as this follows a similar case between Rasool and Camden Council.

In this latest case, he along with his property management company, Blackstone Properties Management Limited, were convicted after they failed to improve the conditions of the home. They were each fined £240,000 at Westminster magistrates court on November 1.

Councillor Cem Kemahli, lead member for planning and public realm, said: “Let this judgement be a clear lesson to other landlords and agents – if you are offering poor quality accommodation we will find you and will come after you.

“We want the best homes in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

“Our landlord licensing schemes are seeking out the bad operators to ensure safer homes for everyone and a fairer market for good operators.”

Rasool didn’t turn up to the sentencing hearing.

He was separately handed a banning order in January 2022 after Camden Council took action against his other poorly maintained homes.

Rasool was fined £95,000 in May last year for safety breaches and unlicensed property management, while he and his three companies were handed a further £78,000 in fines in June.