A Cricklewood landlord has been ordered to pay more than £700,000 after he breached Barnet Council’s planning enforcement rules.
Saied Rahmdezfouli was refused consent in 2006 to convert his semi-detached house at 11 Quantock Gardens, Cricklewood, NW2, into nine flats.
But he opted to press ahead with the conversion anyway and subsequently rented out the flats despite the fact that they were ‘substandard in size and poorly designed’.
Following lengthy investigations and court proceedings at Wood Green Crown Court, Rahmdezfouli has now been ordered to pay back the record-breaking amount.
In addition to paying back the £555,954.49 profit he generated from the illegal tenancies, Rahmdezfouli will also have to pay a £65,000 fine for the planning offences and £80,000 in legal costs.
If the unscrupulous landlord fails to pay the money in full within three months, he faces a prison sentence of five years and four months.
Leader of Barnet Council, Councillor Richard Cornelius, said: “I am delighted that after a lengthy legal battle, the justice system has supported us in making sure that anyone who flouts our planning laws is suitably punished.
“Planning permission rules exist to ensure everyone in our borough has a safe and healthy place to live, and we cannot allow anyone to breach these rules by providing substandard accommodation. We will always do our best to ensure that this illegal activity is stopped as soon as possible.”
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