A landlord and letting agency have together been fined more than £26,000 after being found guilty of housing offences following a multi-agency operation carried out at two properties in Luton last year.

Adrian Simion, 30, and lettings agent Altavon Property Management, were found guilty at Luton Magistrates Court of a series of management regulations breaches relating to the safety and running of illegal houses of multiple occupancy.

Neither Simion nor the letting agency attended the hearing but were convicted in their absence, the council reported. Magistrates imposed fines totalling nearly £7,000 on Simion for two offences of failing to licence a HMO and nine separate management regulation breaches. He was ordered to pay £500 costs and £110 victim surcharge.

Altavon Property Management was fined £10,000 for failure to license and then £2,500 for each of four management breaches, with £500 costs and £120 victim surcharge.

The people found at the address were subsequently supported by Luton Council which brought the prosecutions, together with the Romanian Embassy, Bedfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group, Citizens Advice Luton and various charities.