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A letting agent who advertised rental flats that were not on the market to boost his firm’s online profile, is facing a £6,600 bill in fines and costs following legal action taken by the Town Hall.

Down2Town Ltd, based in Caledonian Road, and its director Ilshad Ali Sumum, were left with a total bill of £6,600, following Islington Council’s action.

The authority’s trading standards team was contacted last year after a concerned resident noticed their home was listed for rent on the Zoopla property website – even though the property was not actually available.

An investigation 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.

However, the agent also went on to falsely list other flats in the block – including the home of the concerned resident – as available for rent. These false listings kept the block near the top of the search on the Zoopla website, which helped to market the flat which was actually available for rent. This practice is known as “ghost-listing”.

On May 31 Mr Sumum pleaded guilty to two offences under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court. He and Down2Town Ltd were each fined £2,000, each ordered to pay costs of £1,250, and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £100 – a total of £6,600.

Cllr Diarmaid Ward, executive member for housing and develop­ment, said: “Most letting agents in Islington behave responsibly, but we will take action against those who break the law.”

Residents who have concerns about the practices of a letting agent, are urged to contact the government’s Citizens Advice consumer service on 03454 040506.