A rogue landlord who packed 40 tenants in a four-bedroom property has been handed Brent Council’s first banning order.
Jaydipkumar Rameshchandra Valand (main picture, inset), 48, of Swinderby Road, Wembley, has been banned from letting out houses in England and engaging in any sort of property management work in the country for the next five years.
Valand was one of four landlords found guilty of raking in £360,000 by housing tenants in the semi-detached house in Napier Road, Wembley (main picture), in 2018.
Enforcement officers discovered one tenant living in a lean-to shack made from pallets and tarpaulin with no lighting or heating.
Although he was handed a £5,000 confiscation order, Valand went on to exploit more vulnerable tenants. In January 2022 he was found guilty of breaching housing regulations at a licensed HMO property in Wembley Hill Road.
Enforcement officers discovered fire safety issues, accumulating waste, disrepairs and unhygienic conditions, while he pocketed £1,400 a month from tenants without tenancy agreements.
Lie revealed
Valand was fined £30,000 and ordered to pay £3,347 in costs by Willesden Magistrates Court and, although he declared that he didn’t own a business in the UK, Brent officers were able to demonstrate in court last year that this was a lie.
Council leader Muhammed Butt (pictured) says: “Brent Council takes a zero-tolerance policy against rogue landlords such as this, and we will use everything in our powers to hold them to account to safeguard our vulnerable residents.”
The borough introduced a selective licensing scheme at the beginning of August, covering all landlords who rent out properties in Dollis Hill, Harlesden & Kensal Green and Willesden Green.
Pictures: London Borough of Brent
Read more about landlord licencing.
