A couple from Hayes have been ordered by a tribunal to demolish two outbuildings they rented out as beds in sheds, thanks to action taken by Hillingdon Council.

Rajwant Singh and Gurbax Kaur, of Coldharbour Lane, Hayes, were renting out 179 Coldharbour Lane to more than seven people without licensing the property as a house of multiple occupation (HMO) and leasing two illegal outbuildings in the garden as accommodation.

Hillingdon Council became one of the first local authorities in London to use powers under the Housing Act 2004 to serve demolition orders on the two outbuildings in October last year.

Singh and Kaur challenged the orders at the HM Courts and Tribunal Service Resident Property Tribunal, but on Friday 21 February, after considering all the evidence, it supported the council and confirmed that that demolition was the right course of action.

-- Advertisement --

Singh and Kaur now have until May to demolish the outbuildings. If they fail to do this, Hillingdon Council will take direct action to remove the illegal outbuildings and charge the couple for the cost, as well as considering further prosecutions and fines.

Councillor Keith Burrows, Cabinet Member for Planning, Transportation and Recycling, said: "Ordering landlords to demolish illegal outbuildings is one of many ways that our housing and planning enforcement teams continue to protect our local community by taking firm action against those who rent out accommodation that is not fit for purpose.

"The support of the tribunal demonstrates that our uncompromising approach to tackling beds in sheds is effective. I hope that our success in this case sends a strong message to other rogue landlords operating in our borough and beyond that they cannot get away with breaching housing and planning regulations."

Singh and Kaur were told by Hillingdon Council in 2009 that they were not allowed to rent out two outbuildings, a wooden shed and brick structure, to people looking for somewhere to live.

However, a dawn raid by housing and planning enforcement teams, the UK Border Agency and the Metropolitan Police in August 2013 found that they had not followed the rules.

During the raid, officers discovered that the outbuildings had been poorly converted to accommodate people living there. Cold, mouldy and with faulty gas and electric supplies, neither the wooden shed nor the brick structure met the minimum standards required for human habitation.

(CD/JP)