A north London landlord has been banned from letting or managing houses for five years and fined over £90,000 for breaching housing standards. Sanjay Patel, from Harrow, crammed more than 18 people into a house licensed for a maximum of seven occupants. Brent Council enforcement officers discovered a couple and their four-month-old baby living in an underdeclared outbuilding without heating or electricity. Officers also found people sharing a single attic room with locked windows that could not be opened, as well as faulty smoke alarms at the property on Wyld Way, Wembley.
Previous Offences
In March, Mr Patel was fined £87,000 for housing breaches and ordered to pay a £2,000 victim surcharge and £2,788 in prosecution costs, bringing the total financial penalty to £91,788 by Willesden Magistrates. He has now been banned from letting or managing housing in England for five years. In 2024, he was fined £50,000 for housing offences at a rental property on Vivian Avenue, Wembley, following tenants' reports of a rat infestation, leaks, and a broken toilet. Council enforcement officers found eight people, including two children, living in a house suitable for only five people, with mould, faulty doors, blocked hallways, and serious disrepair throughout.
Council Statement
Thomas Cattermole, Corporate Director of Resident and Housing Services, said: “This banning order sends a clear message that Brent does not tolerate landlords who put profit before people’s safety. Every resident deserves a safe and secure home. The council will continue using the strongest enforcement powers available to protect tenants and hold rogue landlords to account.”
