Rogue landlord banned

A landlord who rented out a property that raised serious concerns for the safety of up to 18 residents, including six children, has been banned from letting or managing

Mr Adam Habane, of Dove Street Bristol, has a long history of poor property management, and was found guilty in March 2021 of the poor management of seven flats at 24 Lower Ashley Road, St Agnes. Mr Habane has now been banned from letting houses or carrying out letting agency or property management work in England, and banned from acting as an officer of any company that works in this area.

Bristol City Council’s Private Housing Team brought the case in March, after visiting the property. Officers found it had been poorly converted into a house in multiple occupation (HMO) with up to 18 people living there, including six children.

The property was discovered to be in very poor repair and poorly managed, with particular concerns for the safety of the occupants due to the absence of operating fire alarm systems. The concern was so great that, as a precautionary measure, the council provided battery operated smoke detectors to the property that day, to protect the tenants while decisions were made of the future of the property. Other safety issues remained, and the council later made Prohibition Orders on the flats in the main building of the property to make it illegal for anyone to live there, due to the very poor and unsafe living conditions. The council took the decision to apply for a Banning Order following this case because of the seriousness of those offences and the potential harm to tenants. It is also hoped it will deter other rogue landlords and agents from operating in a criminal way. In addition, his name will now be added to the government’s Rogue Landlord database. Councillor Tom Renhard, Cabinet Member for Housing Delivery and Homes, said: “Rogue landlords and agents have no place in Bristol and the council will use all its powers available to stop these criminals from operating in Bristol and the rest of the country. “This was a particularly shocking case, where the landlord showed a blatant disregard for the safety of his tenants. That is why we took the decision to apply for a Banning Order following the successful conviction earlier this year.

“I would like to thank all the officers in Private Housing and Legal Services for their hard work to bring this absentee landlord to account.”

Mr Habane has still not co-operated with the council and has refused to confirm if he is involved in the letting or management of any other rented properties. If anyone has a concern or believes Mr Habane to be involved with their property, please contact the Private Housing Team at private.housing@bristol.gov.uk

Or to find out more about how to report a rogue landlord.