Police find person sleeping in cupboard under stairs during search of properties

Police found a resident of a house of multiple occupancy (HMO) in Haddington sleeping in the cupboard under the stairs, it has been revealed.

The landlord of two neighbouring properties in the East Lothian town is applying to have his licence to operate it renewed.

But a report due to go to next week’s East Lothian Council licensing sub committee reveals the houses have not had a valid HMO licence for more than three years.

And it was revealed that in a scene reminiscent of the Harry Potter books, someone had been sleeping in the under-stairs cupboard of one or the properties.

The report said the landlord “admitted that a single person had been sleeping in the understairs cupboard of one of the properties (reported by Police Scotland following their visit of August 19, 2022)”.

In the first of the Harry Potter books the wizarding schoolboy lives in the cupboard under the stairs of his aunt and uncle’s house.

The report on the HMO properties said that during a visit by licensing, police and fire officers, it was found 14 people were living in the two houses which had a limit of between six and ten tenants.

Single beds were discovered in garden sheds at both properties and one tenant told officers they paid their rent in cash and received no receipts.

Historic complaints about the HMO use of the houses, on Hope Park, saw neighbours accuse tenants of taking drugs in the garden, anti-social behaviour, and disturbances day and night.

The report also said a meeting at council headquarters between the landlord, the licensing officer and homelessness team had been held in December 2023 where concerns were raised that tenant/lodger agreements were not in place for those living in the houses.

It added there was “frequent presentations to the homelessness team from former tenants of (the properties) and potential presentations from current lodgers due to both properties being in breach of HMO legislation”.

The report outlined a timeline of events over the last two years including enforcement action over unauthorised use of the homes as HMOs, application forms which were incomplete and breaches of a rent suspension order.

The sub committee will consider new applications which have now been lodged for the properties to operate as HMOs however its own planning department has lodged an objection saying both houses are the subject of an ‘ongoing enforcement investigation’ relating to planning permission for the use.

The committee will meet to decide the licences next Thursday, June 12.