A landlord in East London has been fined over £6,500 for converting a home into two separate flats without gaining planning permission.
Mr Shiraz Akbar Khan of Woodbury Road, Walthamstow, was prosecuted after council officers discovered that he had illegally turned a home in Brewster Road, Leyton into two flats, in an attempt to maximise rent paid on the property.
However, Waltham Forest council had previously made such practices without correct planning permission illegal, with the implementation of ‘Article 4 Direction’ on Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs). This policy removed the previously known ‘permitted development rights’, which had allowed landlords of single household properties to convert it into a HMO without planning permission.
The trial at Stratford Magistrates Court ended with Mr Khan – who had no legal representation and plead not guilty to the offence – being fined £5,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1,558 and a victim surcharge of £120, the Waltham Forest Guardian reported.
Councillor Clyde Loakes, deputy leader and cabinet member for environment, said after the case: “It’s a really strong message to all landlords that here in Waltham Forest you follow the planning rules and regulations or you pay the price.
“We have some great housing stock in this borough and will not tolerate landlords simply looking to carve it up to provide as many flats as possible so that they can maximise the rent.”
He added that maintaining the number of larger properties in the borough was necessary to provide homes for larger families and households.