A landlord has been fined for unlawfully turning a garage into two separate ‘beds in sheds’ and renting them out. He also sub-divided the main house without planning permission.
Harnek Singh Brar, of Hayes, Middlesex, was taken to court by Hillingdon Council and penalised a total of £14,315 after pleading guilty at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court.
It is the second time within a month that the council has secured a successful conviction for such an offence.
Brar had previously failed to comply with an enforcement notice served by the council, which was upheld by the Planning Inspectorate in September 2010.
He is still required to comply with the notice by restoring the outbuilding to a garage and the sub-divided main house back into a single home, or he could face further court action.
Councillor Keith Burrows, cabinet member for planning, said: “I am glad to see the courts taking this seriously and issuing some hefty fines. I hope this acts as a warning and deterrent to others.
“We have a dedicated team to tackle this issue and we will continue to take action against those people who think they can flout the law.”
Brar was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay £4,300 costs and a victim surcharge of £15.
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Comments
After reading this article it is good to see a clamp down on the more unscrupulous landlords. I've also read where a local council in London has become the first to make it mandatory for Landlords licensing their properties.