A London landlord has been slapped with an order to pay almost £275,000 for ignoring a planning enforcement notice.

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In February 2016 the landlord was found to have illegally built an outbuilding at the rear of her property in Greenford with Enfield Council’s enforcement team serving her with an enforcement notice.

The landlord had rented out the outbuilding as a separate residence and had failed to apply for planning permission.

When officers visited the property, it was found to be not fit for purpose as the living area was overcrowded and of poor quality.

Following the officer’s findings the landlord was served with an enforcement notice to stop her from renting out the outbuilding for housing and was given three months to comply.

The landlord appeared in court for failing to carry out the enforcement notice and admitted her guilt at Ealing Magistrates’ Court. The case was then sent over to Isleworth Crown Court to raise a confiscation order under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

The landlord then had to prove that the rental income she had received over the previous six years was legal.

The council’s team undertook a lengthy investigation and following its findings the court applied a confiscation order of £243,950.48. The landlord was warned that the full amount must be paid by December 2 2021, failure to do this would result in her facing a two and a half year sentence.

At a further court hearing, as the sentence follows the confiscation order, the landlord was ordered to pay a fine of £8,000 and to pay full costs of £23,496.28.

Ealing’s Councillor Shital Manro in charge of its planning policy, says: “This is a great result for Ealing as it shows that we will take robust action not only to prevent those who provide poor quality housing but against those ignore planning law and our enforcement notices.

“In this case, Mrs Bawa was given ample time to comply but didn’t, which meant we had to take her to court. She now faces paying a total of £275,000 and a potential prison sentence.