Dodgy East London landlord rents 5-bed house to 13 people from 4 families for up to £750 each

A dodgy landlord in East London has been fined more than £60,000 after he had failed to licence a dangerously overcrowded property. Ilyas Patel was found to own a mid-terrace property on Altmore Avenue in East Ham which had 13 people living in it.

In November 2023, Environmental Health Officers inspected the house and found five rooms occupied by at least four unrelated families. Two of the families had small children.

All of the 13 occupants were sharing a single kitchen and bathroom. Each of the tenants officers spoke to were paying between £600 and £750 a month in rent.

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Severe mice infestation found

There was also a severe mice infestation in the house, officers found. Following a hearing at Thames Magistrates Court, Patel was find a total of £63,977.19 including additional costs.

A Newham Council spokesperson said: “This verdict sends a strong message to landlords and managing agents that overcrowded, unsafe, and unlicensed properties will not be accepted in Newham. This prosecution highlights how seriously we take our responsibility to safeguard the well-being of all our residents, ensuring that housing conditions meet legal standards."

The council explained that their housing team uses a proactive approach by actively seeking out hidden Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs) every few weeks. They conduct fortnightly operations with the police, using intelligence to identify and inspect properties that fail to meet licensing requirements under all three schemes.

Got a story for us? Email anna.willis@reachplc.com.

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