A Holbeach house operating as an unlicensed multiple occupancy home thought to have had up to 17 people living in it has been condemned.
On November 23, South Holland District Council (SHDC)inspectors found eight people at the address at Chapel Street during their inspection, but believe up to 17 might have been living there.
The council deemed the house to be operating as an unlicensed Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) rather than a family home and, upon finding health hazards issued an emergency prohibition order.
Key areas of concern were raised around unsafe staircases, unsafe electrics and a severe lack of adequate fire protection in the building.
The landlord was served with an emergency prohibition order under s43 of the Housing Act 2004.
A council spokesman said all occupants would be given priority should they need assistance finding a new place to live but to date nobody from the house has approached them.
The landlord plans to continue operating as a HMO and SHDC is working with them on this goal. A council spokesman said only when the essential works have been carried out that the Emergency Prohibition Notice would be removed.
Once the work is done, the landlord can apply for an HMO licence.
Coun Christine Lawton, South Holland District Council portfolio holder for housing and health said: “We have a duty to anyone living in a multiple-occupancy building in the district to ensure that it is safe and is correctly managed. In order to achieve this we regularly inspect these buildings and in this instance there were some major concerns that could seriously endanger anyone visiting or living in the household.
“The severity of the issues meant we needed to act quickly to serve an emergency notice and protect the safety of our residents.
This action is never taken lightly, but to allow the building to remain occupied in this unsafe state would have been risking the well-being of anyone connected to it, which as a council we cannot allow.”
