A rogue landlord who illegally subdivided his property into seven separate flats has been ordered to pay back more than £110,000 through the Proceeds of Crime Act.
Tirath Singh, the owner of 75 Park Road in Ilford, was ordered to pay £110,670 when he appeared at Snaresbrook Crown Court – the income he received from charging rent for the seven illegal units.
Planning permission
Although Singh obtained his HMO licence, he failed to get planning permission for the seven units he constructed at the East London property. Despite this being an illegal dwelling, the landlord rented out the seven properties to tenants – who were unaware of his deception – over five years between 2016 and 2021.
In addition to the Proceeds of Crime bill, Singh was fined £3,750 and will have to pay costs of £3,097.
Council leader
Leader of Redbridge Council, councillor Jas Athwal, says: “Local people deserve to live in safe, high-quality homes, and rogue landlords will not be tolerated in our borough.
“Mr Singh’s decision to build illegal units without planning permission is unacceptable. I want to thank our anti-fraud team for building such a robust and compelling case, resulting in a substantial fine.”
