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Housing Solicitors
Letting agent prosecuted for ghost-listing properties (20 June 2016)
Date: 20/06/2016
Islington Council in north London has prosecuted a letting agent who advertised rental flats that were not on the market – a practice sometimes known as “ghost-listing”.
Islington’s Trading Standards team investigated Down2Town Ltd of 96 Caledonian Road, London N1 and its director Mr Ilshad Ali Sumum, after the council was contacted by a concerned resident who noticed their home was listed for rent on the Zoopla property website, even though the property was not actually available.
Islington’s Trading Standards investigations revealed that the letting agent had entered into an unwritten agreement with a landlord to let out a different home in the same block, near Holloway Road.
At Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court, Mr Sumum pleaded guilty to two offences under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.
Sumum and Down2Town Ltd were each fined £2,000, each ordered to pay costs of £1,250 – were ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £100, a total of £6,600.
Executive member for housing and development, Councillor Diarmaid Ward, said:
“More and more Islington residents rent in the private sector – and we want to make sure they have decent homes and are treated fairly.
“In this case, flats were falsely being advertised for sale, a practice sometimes also known as ghost-listing.
“This not only misled those looking for homes to rent, but also caused understandable distress among the residents who discovered their homes were being marketed without their knowledge or consent.
“Most letting agents in Islington behave responsibly, but we will take action against those who break the law.”
Duncan Lewis Housing Solicitors
housing solicitors on 0333 772 0409.