The council said the homes “failed to meet even the most basic of living standards and legal requirements”.
Edward Harris, a Reform councillor and chair of Warwickshire County Council, has had two HMOs shut down over safety issues.
Harris has been described as a “rogue landlord” after he had two six-bedroom houses shut down which he had been illegally letting out as Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs).
As reported by Birmingham Live, Tamworth Borough Council found that the homes he was renting out had no central heating or hot water, no working fire alarms, inadequate cooking facilities and unsafe access to outdoor areas.
There were also multiple other safety failures across both properties.
The council found that the homes, which housed multiple tenants, “failed to meet even the most basic of living standards and legal requirements”.
A Tamworth Borough council spokesperson said: “We were left with no other option and took enforcement action after discovering multiple serious safety failures at two detached houses owned by Edward Harris, of Polesworth.
“Harris was operating both properties illegally as unlicensed houses in multiple occupation (HMO), housing multiple people in dangerous conditions.”
The council also said that Harris had “repeatedly failed to take action on warnings and advice from the council to address the problems”.
Harris has said “there are a number of things to be contrite about” in regards to his properties, but that he does not plan to step down as a councillor or as chair of the Reform-run council.
The Reform councillor for Baddlesey and Dordon also said that he didn’t think his properties were “unsafe” at the time that Tamworth Borough Council took enforcement action.
“I think there are a couple of actions that need to be taken to make them more habitable but I don’t see them as unsafe,” Harris said.
Reform UK Party Exposed tagged the Reform leader of Warwickshire County Council, George Finch, in a post about Harris.
Today, the X account wrote: “Not a peep from Reform UK Warwickshire Leader @_GeorgeFinch since his Councillor and Chairman was exposed as a Rogue HMO Landlord.”
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
Left Foot Forward doesn't have the backing of big business or billionaires. We rely on the kind and generous support of ordinary people like you.
You can support hard-hitting journalism that holds the right to account, provides a forum for debate among progressives, and covers the stories the rest of the media ignore. Donate today.