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There are many stories in the press about rogue landlords letting out squalid houses, but a story in the news this weekend has really taken things to a whole new level.
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Illegal HMO Conversion
A three-bedroom house in South London was illegally converted into eight self-contained flats by way of an extension into the garden. Unfortunately, the builder didn’t remove a big tree that was in the way, so several of the rooms have a giant tree included as part of the décor. Even worse, the landlord has used the tree branches to route electricity through the property, so not only does the tree look bizarre – it is also highly dangerous. The property also has just one bathroom and toilet for all eight flats, which is not sufficient.
A Lucrative Venture
Housing officials reckon that the landlord was letting each small room out for £100 per week, despite the lack of facilities, so it is possible that he was making more than £40k per year.
Needless to say, the landlord and tenants were long gone by the time housing officials from Lambeth Council arrived to call time on the HMO, but Lambeth Council is thinking about launching legal action against the absentee landlord.
The property originally belonged to Lambeth Council in the 1970s, but was one of several that were passed to housing associations when the council didn’t have the budget to repair and renovate. The council is now starting to reclaim them.
