A husband and wife have been ordered to pay over £270,000 after illegally converting a house in Hillingdon into four cramped flats without proper planning approval.
Amarjit Singh, 54, and Jasbinder Kaur, 45, residents of Munster Avenue in Hounslow, subdivided a property in Yiewsley and built an unauthorised outbuilding in the garden, which they rented out. They did not obtain the required planning permission for these changes.
The couple appeared at Isleworth Crown Court on Monday, where a confiscation order of £250,055.80 was issued — the amount they had earned in rent from five unlawfully created units.
This followed an investigation by Hillingdon Council, which visited the property on Maple Avenue on June 27, 2018, after receiving complaints about a large outbuilding being erected in the garden without approval. An inspection revealed it included a bedroom, kitchen, shower room, and lounge, and was being rented out as a self-contained home.
Singh and Kaur were also fined £10,000 each and ordered to pay £4,480 in prosecution costs. The judge granted them three months to pay all charges. If they fail to do so, they face a prison sentence of up to two years and nine months.
Councillor Steve Tuckwell praised the outcome, saying: “This is a major success for our planning enforcement and trading standards teams. It sends a strong message that illegal rentals and substandard living conditions, such as beds in sheds, will not be tolerated in our borough. We are committed to ensuring all residents live in safe, good-quality housing and will continue to hold rogue landlords accountable.”
The council's planning enforcement officers gained access to the main building on July 4, 2018, and confirmed it had been unlawfully divided into four separate flats, each with its own kitchen, bedroom, and living area.
Enforcement notices were served on November 20, 2018, ordering the owners to restore the building and outbuilding to a single-family dwelling by removing internal partitions, excess kitchens, and lockable doors by March 21, 2019.
However, a later unannounced visit revealed that the enforcement notices had not been followed, and the premises continued to be rented out.
Singh and Kaur admitted two counts of breaching planning regulations at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court on February 23, 2024.
A financial investigation by the council’s trading standards team revealed substantial profits from the illegal rentals, prompting a referral to the Crown Court for sentencing and confiscation. Since then, the property has been restored to its original use as a single-family home.
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