Landlord fined £12k after renting out illegal outbuilding

A property owner who let out an illegal outbuilding and failed to comply with a council’s enforcement notice has been fined £12,000.

Officers from the London Borough of Hounslow discovered the outbuilding at the property on Munster Avenue in October 2006.

An enforcement notice was subsequently served on Daljit Singh Gill, requiring him to stop using it at residential accommodation.

However, a site visit in March 2013 revealed that the building was occupied by two tenants. According to Hounslow, the tenants were understood to be paying Gill £780 per month.

Gill was prosecuted at Feltham Magistrates Court at a hearing on 19 August. He was fined £12,000 and ordered to pay costs of £997, plus a £15 victim surcharge.

Cllr Steve Curran, cabinet member for housing, planning and regeneration at Hounslow, said: “Mr Gill’s complete disregard to our enforcement notice shows he puts profit above the safety of his tenants.

“There are clear rules and regulations for outbuildings that are there to protect residents, neighbours and the wider community, but Mr Gill didn’t seem to think these applied to him.”

Cllr Curran added: “I’m glad the court has showed him how wrong this view is. We are working hard to tackle the problem of illegal outbuildings across the borough, and this case shows we won’t hesitate to use the courts to remedy the situation.”