Landlord faces 15 months in jail unless she pays over...

A landlord faces a hefty jail sentence unless she finds over £50,000 in the next three months - and on top of that she has other financial penalties adding up to about another £30,000.

In 2015 Planning Enforcement Officers from Barking and Dagenham council became aware that a five-bedroom property which had been sub-divided to form two separate flats without acquiring the necessary planning permission.

An Enforcement Notice was issued to the owner - Titilola Oyejole - prohibiting the use as two separate units of accommodation and requiring it to be restored to a single dwelling. The notice was the subject of an unsuccessful appeal to the Planning Inspectorate and the requirements of the notice should have been achieved by April 2016.

In November 2016 council officers found that it remained two self-contained flats with tenants in one of the flats and the other being occupied by the owner.

Oyejole was summoned to Snaresbrook Crown Court in July 2018 where she was ordered to pay a fine of £200, costs to Barking and Dagenham council of £4,203 and a victim surcharge of £30. Additionally, a Confiscation Order under the Proceeds of Crime Act was made in the sum of £19,784. The total amount equalled £24,217.

Following the court date, work was carried out at the property and a first floor was knocked through, returning the property back to its original five-bed single property.

In May 2018 Oyejola applied to the council for a property licence to rent the property out. But the council, on a visit, found that the property had once again been divided into two units of accommodation by installing a locked door where the first-floor wall had been opened through.

One of the flats was occupied by tenants and the other by the owner. The officer’s found that the tenant’s flat was in poor condition with water ingress and rodent infestation and as a result, Improvement Notices were issued.

In September 2023, Oyejola appeared at Barkingside Magistrates Court and pleaded not guilty to the three alleged offences: Failing to Comply with the requirements of the planning Enforcement and failing to comply with two notices concerning the condition of the property and the rodent infestation.

However, the Magistrates convicted her on all three counts.

Most recently, this month, Oyejola attended Snaresbrook Crown Court where she was ordered to pay a fine of £7,500 for the planning offence, £500 for each of the Improvement Notice offences as well as costs to Barking and Dagenham council of £4,920.50. Additionally, a Proceeds of Crime Act Confiscation Order was made in the sum of £51, 983.24p which is to be paid within three months with a sentence of 15 months imprisonment if she defaults.

In total Oyejola will need to pay out a total of £78,620.

A council spokesperson says: “This is a fantastic result … I would like to thank everyone involved who have helped achieve this and protect private tenants.”

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