A landlord has been fined £6.5k for illegally turning a home he owned into two flats.

Mr Shiraz Akbar Khan of Woodbury Road, Walthamstow, attempted to maximize his profits by letting a home he owned to two different families.

However, he did not have planning permission.

In September last year Waltham Forest council brought into force an ‘Article 4 Direction’ on Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs).

The new policy stops landlords of single household properties carving them up into HMOs by removing ‘permitted development rights’, which would otherwise allow a landlord to change a property from a single dwelling to an HMO without having to get planning permission.

Council officers discovered the home in Brewster Road, Leyton and decided to prosecute.

He was found guilty at Stratford Magistrates Court on January 8 and fined £5,000.

Court costs were also ordered at £1,558 and a Victim Surcharge of £120.

The trial had originally been scheduled for October 22, and Mr Khan’s no show at that time and inability to produce a medical certificate to cover his absence also led to the Court including £450 abortive costs within the Collection Order.

Mr Khan has been given six months to pay all of the fine, costs and surcharge.

“It’s a really strong message to all landlords that here in Waltham Forest you follow the planning rules and regulations or you pay the price,” said councillor Clyde Loakes, deputy leader and cabinet member for environment.

“We have some great housing stock in this borough and will not tolerate landlords simply looking to carve it up to provide as many flats as possible so that they can maximise the rent.

“We need to protect our larger properties in the borough to meet the needs of families and larger households and landlords need to respect the integrity of their properties and not simply see them as cash cows to be milked dry.”

In court Mr Khan, who was not legally represented, pleaded ‘not guilty’.