Hefty fine for buy to let investor who illegally converted garage

Buy to let investor Changhaiz Ishaq has been ordered to pay a £8,510 fine for defying a prohibition order on his property, which was a converted garage.

Luton council found that many issues wrong with the property included no gas safety certificate; live cables adjacent to water supply in the shower room; evidence of rodent infestation in the kitchen; inadequate ventilation and heating throughout, resulting in mould growth; lack of windows, aggravating ventilation concerns and limiting natural light; and no damp proof membrane to ground floor

The property had become the subject of a prohibition order while under the management of a previous landlord. 

When it reverted to Ishaq’s control he was still bound by the order. Despite this, he issued new agreements with tenants and flouted the law concerning houses in multiple occupation by failing to secure the correct licence.

A Luton council spokesperson says: “We will not tolerate landlords who rent properties which fail to meet standards. The council has a commitment to ensure that private landlords in Luton do not take financial advantage of vulnerable tenants and put their lives at risk.

“Even though the landlord ‘inherited’ the court order he was still liable to adhere to it. Our message to unscrupulous landlords is this – no one is above the law.”

Ishaq was fined £440 for not having an HMO licence; £7,700 for breaching the prohibition order; a victim surcharge of £120 and costs of £250.