Liakath Ali, a 40-year-old landlord, has been ordered to pay almost £70,000 in legal fines and costs after a court found him guilty of letting out substandard bedsits in the East End of London.
Mr Ali, from Bedfordshire, allowed tenants to rent properties from him despite the fact that there was inadequate provision of fire alarms and doors at his properties, which is a serious violation of health and safety laws.
Furthermore, one room did not have access to enough natural light, while another two should only have been let out to one tenant but the landlord allowed four people to live in each.
The overcrowding at the properties was made even more severe when other issues were taken into consideration, which ranged from rat infestations to widespread mould.
Tower Hamlets council also discovered that one of the rooms had been divided by an illegal partition, to allow more tenants to live in the same space.
Mr Ali did not appear in court, where he was ordered to pay a £37,000 Confiscation Order for offences under the Housing Act at one of his four properties, in addition to £12,500 in fines and £17,500 in costs.
The case was initially handled by Thames magistrates, who found the landlord guilty and passed the case to Snaresbrook Crown Court for sentencing.
Once received, the money from the ‘rogue’ landlord will be divided between the Courts Service, the Government and Tower Hamlets Council, in order to help pay for future landlord enforcement measures that will improve the quality of private rental properties for tenants.