A rogue landlord has been ordered to pay over £15,000 after illegally altering buildings he let out as HMOs in the Hayes are of London.

Tarsem Dhillon, of Hayes, admitted three charges of failing to comply with an enforcement notice when he appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court.

The court was told how Hillingdon council’s planning officers had visited the properties in March 2021 after being notified that a storage building at the back of the properties had been altered illegally and was also being used as an HMO.

The first floor of the building had two shower rooms, a kitchen and toilet and an external door had been built and metal railings installed onto the roof of the extended first floor of the building to create an amenity space for residents, but without planning permission. 

At one property inspectors found a single-storey side extension had been built, also without planning permission. 

The court heard the council issued enforcement notices in March 2021, seeking the cessation of use: the notices came into effect on 20 April 2021 and required compliance by 20 July the same year. 

The court was told follow-up inspections from the council on February 1 this year revealed none of the three notices had been complied with. 

A council spokesperson says: “We’re determined to create safe, strong communities where residents can live a high quality of life and we’ll take all action necessary to tackle rogue landlords who flout the rules. 

“Any residents who suspect a property of being used illegally can anonymously let our planning enforcement team know and they will investigate.”  

Dhillon was fined £12,000, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £2,000 and the council’s court costs of £1,660.