A rogue landlord has been fined £37,000 after authorities discovered 18 people living in a three-bedroom house in North London.

Charles Egbiremolen, 57, had converted a three-bedroom house into eight bedsits and let them out unlicensed on Fairmead Crescent, Edgware.

On 25 November last year, Egbiremolen was found guilty of nine offences at Willesden Magistrates’ Court and was finally sentenced three months later in February.

After neighbours reported issues such as noise, antisocial behaviour, and overcrowding, Barnet Council investigated the property.

Council inspectors, accompanied by police, entered the property with a warrant and discovered severe overcrowding. In one instance, six people, including infants, were found sharing a single room.

The council told the court that another room, measuring just 7.8 square meters, housed two tenants.

Council inspectors found widespread disrepair throughout the property, which did not meet safety standards, had a dangerously inadequate fire alarm system, and lacked a safe means of escape in case of fire.

The landlord was convicted of multiple offenses, which included not bothering to licence the property, committing management and safety violations, and not providing statutory information to the council.

The court ordered the landlord to pay a £15,000 fine as well as a £2,000 victim surcharge and £20,000 towards the authority’s costs.