A rogue landlord has been reported after renting out a house in Hanover to six people without the right licence.
A neighbour spotted the house in Jersey Street being used as a house of multiple occupation (HMO) which means it must be registered with Brighton and Hove City Council.
But when the council checked its records, no registration was found.
The house is in one of five city wards which have required additional licensing since 2012 as they have a large number of student households.
It must now get a special licence, for which it will need to satisfy fire regulations, or the tenants could face eviction – although the council would only insist on that as a last resort.
The council’s chair of housing Bill Randall said: “The response from landlords has generally been very good.
“Since the additional licensing scheme started on 5 November 2012 the council has received 1,965 applications and has issued 1,776 full licences on condition that any work needed is carried out in an agreed period.
“In many cases landlords have found it necessary to improve fire conditions in their properties to meet the licence conditions. In my view that alone justifies licensing.
“A significant number of landlords have not applied for licences putting their tenants’ safety at risk.
“The Jersey Street HMO was spotted by a vigilant neighbour. If there is an HMO which you believe has not been registered, please contact the council on 01273 293156.”
You can check those HMOs that have been registered on the council website.
