A LANDLORD in Bradford who left residents in flats with holes in the walls and faulty fire alarms has been ordered to pay more than £12,000 in fines and costs.

Kabir Hussain, 46, admitted a number of safety breaches at his property in Keighley Road, Bradford, one of ten owned by his company, Park Property World Ltd, based on Selborne Grove in Heaton, also his home address.

He pleaded guilty to three charges of failing to comply with regulations in respect of management of housing in multiple occupation ahead of a scheduled trial at Bradford and Keighley Magistrates' Court yesterday.

Harjit Ryatt, prosecuting on behalf of Bradford Council, told the court that the authority had first received a complaint about the property, which is split into 11 flats, in late 2014.

He said a health visitor reported "extremely concerning" conditions in one of the flats, prompting an inspection from the Council's environmental health team on December 8, 2014.

Mr Ryatt said the inspector found a number of fire safety issues, including the main fire alarm system for the property not working, despite being checked on three separate occasions.

The Council also stated that smoke detectors were lying on the floor and hanging from the ceiling, with some rooms being used as bedrooms having no access to a fire escape.

Some flats were said to have been affected by damp and mould due to "excess cold", with the temperatures prompting health fears for the families living there.

The court also heard that Hussain had failed to maintain the property in a safe condition, with holes to the external fabric of the building presenting "access points for pests".

"These conditions were ongoing," said Mr Ryatt.

"They were a reflection of the poor management of this property over a significant period of time."

The court heard that Hussain, now the sole director of his business, charged tenants at the Keighley Road property between £250 and £350 per month, earning him a rental income of about £30,000 a year.

Ashfaq Chowdhury, for Hussain, said his client had bought the property at auction in 2004 and admitted he "did not know what he was getting into".

The court heard that Park Property World Ltd had lost £274,000 in 2013/14, with an even bigger loss expected in its 2014/15 accounts, which Hussain said were now being audited.

Mr Chowdhury said Hussain was in "genuine financial turmoil" which could lead to him being declared bankrupt.

Hussain was fined a total of £10,000, with £2,140 costs and a £240 surcharge.

Speaking after the case, Councillor Val Slater, portfolio holder for housing, planning and transport, said: "We work hard with private landlords to ensure they keep their homes in good order.

"This was a landlord who was mismanaging a house in multiple occupation by not keeping it in good repair and transgressing safety regulations."