A London landlord has been ordered to pay over £64,000 for breaking housing regulations.

In July last year Sumon Miah was found guilty of breaching a planning enforcement notice served on a property being used illegally as a House in Multiple Occupation.

Now Miah has received his sentence – he’s been ordered to pay a fine of £15,000, costs of £12,573 and has also been handed a £37,000 confiscation order under the Proceeds of Crime Act. The order represents the criminal benefit made from renting the property out.

In summing up the judge said the sentence reflected Miah’s persistent disregard to the enforcement notice and the fact he had purchased the property in Barking as a vehicle to generate income and subsequently converted it into an HMO illegally.

Miah will have three months to pay the fine and failing to do so, he will serve a 12-month prison sentence and if the Confiscation Order also isn’t paid within three months, he will serve a two-year sentence.

A Barking and Dagenham council spokesperson says: “This has been a complete disregard for the rules put in place when it comes to planning enforcement and HMOs.

“And as Mr Miah continued to ignore the enforcement notice handed to him, he now has to stump up a huge amount of cash. I hope this sends out a warning to all landlords who are not following the rules.”