A rogue landlord has been ordered to repay over £90,000 due to major hazards and links to organised crime.
Redbridge Council began investigating the five-bedroom Wanstead property after reports it was being used to grow illegal drugs and siphoning electricity from the National Grid.
Metropolitan Police confirmed this and made an arrest at the address.
When housing enforcement officers inspected the property, they found it empty and in poor condition.
On a return visit, 10 unrelated men were found to be living at the property that had not been repaired or improved.
Further serious hazards were found on this visit and a prohibition order was issued, but the landlord continued to let people stay in the property for over a year.
At Snaresbrook Crown Court, a judge ordered the landlord and agent to pay £91,018.60 in fines, costs and confiscation orders.
“This case sends a very clear message: we will not tolerate landlords who put our residents at risk or try to profit from unsafe and illegal practices,” said John Richards, director of community safety and community cohesion at Redbridge Council.
“We’re committed to working with responsible landlords who do the right thing, but those who choose to ignore the law will face firm and decisive enforcement.
“Our priority is, and always will be, protecting the safety and wellbeing of our residents.”
