Huge £67,000 fine for letting out dirty and overcrowded property

A landlord who let out dark, damp and overcrowded rooms has been hit with a huge £67,000 fine.

Rogue landlord Liakath Ali, 40, of Bedford was ordered to pay a confiscation order of £36,936 relating to offences in a property in Stepney, in London’s Tower Hamlets. 

The order was based on the local council’s financial investigation report that highlighted Ali’s rental income, and his equity in the four properties he owned.

As well as the confiscation order, he was ordered to pay £12,500 in fines and £17,500 in costs on top of a victim surcharge of £120. The total was £67,056.

The fines and costs related to a lack of fire alarms and fire doors, a rat infestation, widespread mould, overcrowding and an illegally partitioned room. One room had inadequate light, and two other rooms contained two people, when they were only each suitable for one occupant.

The confiscated amount will be shared between the Courts Service, the national government and Tower Hamlets council to fund future housing enforcement measures.

“It is vital that landlords in the borough are committed to renting out their properties within the confines of the law. We trust them to ensure they have the necessary safety measures in place to protect their tenants. We only take enforcement action against rogue landlords as a last resort” says a council spokesman.