Reading landlady fined £60,000

A Reading Landlady has been fined £60,000 for health, safety and fire regulation breaches.

Millicent Okumo rented the property to a group of immigrants, charging £700 per month.  The property in London Road, Katesgrove was visited by environmental health inspectors who deemed the property virtually uninhabitable.  They also discovered that there were no working fire alarms in the property. Mrs Okumo had been asked to improve the property in the past but has failed to carry out the necessary work.

A representative for Reading Borough Council said “This shocking case shows that some landlords in our town are still failing to live up to their responsibilities in this regard. This is wholly unacceptable and these landlords need to know that if this happens action will be taken by this council against them.”

Mrs Okumo did not turn up for her court hearing is now thought to be on the run from the authorities.