The owner of a property in Barking has been fined thousands in court for illegally running a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) and ignoring Notices from Barking and Dagenham Council.
In August 2019 an application to license the three-bedroom property, on Somerby Road, Barking, as a HMO was received and this showed that there were now eight people from eight separate households living in the house.
As a result, the Planning Enforcement Team made the landlord, Mr Nadeem Anwar, aware that planning permission was required for a property to be used like this and that it should only be used as a single-family dwelling.
However, due to the Covid pandemic, the property couldn’t be inspected until September 2020 where they found it still to have multiple occupants who shared kitchen and bathroom facilities.
Investigations showed that the property was being managed by All in One Properties Ltd of Ley Street, Ilford. Correspondence was sent to both the management company and Mr Anwar reminding them of the breach of planning regulations.
Mr Anwar eventually made a retrospective planning application to retain multiple occupancy use at the property in February 2021. However, this was refused in April 2021.
In July, later that year, Planning Enforcement then issued an Enforcement Notice requiring the cessation of multiple occupancy and the removal of alterations enabling the change of use from a single dwelling.
However, when officers returned in March 2022, they discovered that the property was still being used as a HMO.
As a result, Mr Anwar was summoned to Barkingside Magistrates Court on 18 March 2023 where he failed to attend. An arrest warrant was issued and following enquiries by the Investigation Team he surrendered to custody.
On 13 May 2024 Anwar and All in One Properties Ltd appeared at Snaresbrook Crown Court, having pleaded guilty to failing to comply with the requirements of the Enforcement Notice.
Anwar was fined £400 and ordered to pay costs of £2,000. Additionally, a confiscation Order under the Proceeds of Crime Act was made in the sum of £2,960.
All in One Properties Ltd was fined £2,000 with costs of £2,781.50p.