Sub-standard living conditions
An inspection found Zasar Khan had added an unauthorised rear roof extension to his property in Southall and converted it into six self-contained flats, creating cramped and sub-standard living conditions. Khan was served with an enforcement notice requiring him to stop using the property as flats and to remove the rear roof extension.
Following an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate that was dismissed, council officers gained a warrant to access the property and found it was still being occupied in breach of the notice.
Having been found guilty of failing to comply with the enforcement notice, the landlord was ordered to pay a Confiscation Order of £104,000, costs of £14,000, and a fine of £9,000.
Unauthorised extension and conversion
Hafiz Imran was required to demolish the side and rear wrap-around extension at his Perivale property, with his appeal to the Planning Inspectorate dismissed. Further planning applications were then submitted between 2011 and 2016, with two being approved and four refused.
However, in January 2020, council officers found that the unauthorised side and rear extension was still there and the landlord had converted the side extension into a self-contained flat, without obtaining the relevant planning permission.
Because Imran had benefitted financially, the case was referred to the Crown Court for confiscation proceedings. In July 2023 he was ordered to pay a Confiscation Order of £100,000, costs of £30,000, and given a £500 fine.
The dangers of self-managing properties
The benefits of using a professional letting agent can easily outweigh any money a landlord pays in managing fees. There are over 500 laws and regulations that affect the private residential lettings sector, so working with an agent who is knowledgeable both about their local market and all of the relevent legislation is invaluable – a lesson the landlords in these two cases have hopefully now learned.
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