A London landlord has been hit with a £20,000 fine after repeatedly ignoring a council-issued planning enforcement notice.

Ijaz Hussain bought the Dagenham property in 2004 when it was a single-family home. By May 2020, local authorities discovered it had been illegally converted into two self-contained flats and rented out—without the necessary planning permission.

Officials informed Hussain of the violation and gave him the option to apply for retrospective approval or restore the home to its original layout. However, after failing to take corrective action, he was served an Enforcement Notice in December 2021, ordering the removal of the second kitchen and other unauthorized modifications within six months.

Hussain challenged the enforcement notice, but in April 2023, the Planning Inspectorate dismissed his appeal, confirming the original ruling. A subsequent inspection in January 2024 revealed that the property remained in violation of planning regulations.

Legal proceedings commenced in April 2024, but repeated delays prolonged the case. This month, Hussain appeared before Romford Magistrates’ Court, where he changed his plea to guilty. He was fined £10,000, required to pay a £4,000 victim surcharge, and ordered to cover £6,142 in legal costs for Barking and Dagenham Council—bringing his total financial penalty to £20,142, due within three months

The council says: “This case demonstrates that while we are always willing to work with residents to resolve planning issues, we will not tolerate those who ignore the law. Our Planning Enforcement Team is committed to ensuring that housing standards are upheld and that our communities are protected from unlawful development.”