A landlord in London has been slapped with fines and a confiscation order of £78,620 after she split up and rented out a five bedroom property as flats with planning consent.
Titilola Oyejole from Dagenham divided up the five bedroom home on Fanshawe Crescent around nine years ago, with her living in one and renting out the rest.
However she was ordered to restore the property to a single dwelling after planning officers from Barking and Dagenham visited in 2015 – an order she failed to follow. After she failed an inspection in 2016 she was taken to court and ordered to pay a Confiscation Order of £19,784 plus a fine.
In 2018 she applied for a license under the council’s selective scheme, but again undertook an unauthorised conversion of the property into two apartments.
What is more, the rented apartment was subject to a rat infestation and water ingress.
She was issued with an improvement notice, but at a second court case in 2023 she was found guilty of ignoring planning enforcement requirements.
Oyejole is now facing a second Proceeds of Crime Act Confiscation Order of £51,983 which, combined with fines and paying the council’s costs, means she must now pay £78,620 or face fail.
Gary Jones, operational director, enforcement, regulatory and community safety, at the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, said: “This case shows that we always take necessary steps to safeguard tenants making sure that landlords do not benefit financially from illegal activity.
“This is a fantastic result and shows the importance of collaborative working across the service. I would like to thank everyone involved who have helped achieve this and protect private tenants.”