In what has been described as possibly the largest fine ever handed out to a private landlord, Salah Ali from Wembley has been ordered to pay £1.4 million for breaching planning regulations by illegally converting a house into twelve bedsits. If he doesn’t pay the fine within six months, Mr Ali can look forward to a ten-year jail sentence; he has also had a restraint order imposed on him to prevent the disposal of assets.
Mr Ali was accused of flouting planning regulations over a ten-year period and despite repeated warnings, he continued to offer sub-standard accommodation to hapless tenants. Eventually, planning enforcement officers from Brent Council were able to bring a prosecution against Mr Ali as part of their clampdown on illegal extensions, dubbed by the media as “beds in sheds”.
Why is the fine so large?
The majority of the fine relates to lost revenue—over the course of ten years, Mr Ali would have raked in a considerable amount of income from his tenants and naturally the Treasury wants its fair share. The rest of the fine is comprised of legal costs and monies owed to Brent Council.
Commenting on the case, Chris Walker from Brent Council was quoted as saying: “This landlord ignored planning rules designed to ensure that the quality of accommodation in the boroughs is maintained and that the environment for surrounding residents is protected. He ignored the council’s notices and as a result, he profited hugely from this sub-standard accommodation.”
Well after being handed such a massive fine, Mr Ali is unlikely to make the same mistake again…
