At Home Share, we recently came across a news alert about a landlord in Gravesend who has been fined £35,000 after failing to properly license his HMO, and we thought we’d share the details with you.
It’s so disappointing that the many good landlords out there continue to be let down by a handful of rogue operators who repeatedly give the industry a bad name.
The landlord in question, Lalli Sidhu, who owns Gravesham Let & Management Ltd, was initially issued with a £17,500 fine back in August 2024 because his property on Parrock Street housed two families and a total of seven people, meaning it should have been licensed.
On top of this, Mr Sidhu had a series of further failings, including not providing relevant information to tenants, 14 instances of failing to implement required safety measures, and seven counts of failing to maintain the property. He was fined an additional £16,875 for these breaches.
The case was fairly straightforward and, as he had refused to pay, he was taken to court, where the judge ordered him to pay a total of £34,375 including court costs (arguably adding many thousands more to the overall bill).
One thing the Home Share team noticed, however, is that Gravesham Let & Management Ltd doesn’t actually own any properties, and as of 30th April 2025, the company had assets of just under £3,000. This may not mean anything, but it’s certainly curious to see that he has no properties held in the company referenced here.
Unfortunately, these instances are all too common. You may recall that back in September 2025, we shared an article following the BBC documentary For Rent: Rooms Under The Radar, which revealed thousands of black market HMOs.
Of course, with the tightened legislation of the Renters’ Rights Bill in force from 1st May, we’re hopeful there will be an even greater disincentive for rogue operators, although we’re not entirely sure how councils will police the changes.
When it comes to HMOs, in a climate of high housing costs and increased mortgage rates, our view at Home Share is that they DO provide something of a solution, but only if they are high quality, professionally managed, and let to professional tenants.
For the south east, for example, you’ll see that the annual rental income, according to Lendlord, is the highest for any area in the UK. That’s a great reason for investors to consider this avenue!
Ultimately, cases like this one should be viewed as a cautionary tale rather than a reflection of the sector as a whole.
Yes, enforcement matters, and landlords who fall short of basic standards absolutely need to be held to account — there’s no debate there. But it’s equally important not to overlook the value that well-managed HMOs bring, especially in places like Medway and across the wider South East, where affordability remains a pressing concern.
The truth is, demand for HMOs is only set to grow. For investors, that’s a clear opportunity — but it also comes with real responsibility.
The era of the “hands-off” or poorly run HMO is, thankfully, drawing to a close. The landlords who’ll thrive going forward are those who approach it as a profession, get to grips with the regulations, and prioritise giving their tenants a decent standard of living.
Because when it comes down to it, HMOs aren’t the problem… badly managed HMOs are.
As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts at Home Share. The best way to get in touch is by emailing info@home-share.co.uk.
