A landlord has been fined £50,000 after charging tenants £3,500 to live in what was described as an "overcrowded house of horrors".

Brent Council officers raided the semi-detached house in Vivian Avenue, Wembley, after a tenant reported a rat infestation, a leak and a broken toilet.

They found eight people crammed inside the house, which only had facilities for five.

Landlord Sanjay Patel was last week ordered to pay £49,495 by Willesden Magistrates’ Court for breaches of the Housing Act. It is the largest fine the council has brought against an unlicensed landlord so far this year.

The court heard how faulty doors, mould, blocked hallways, and the general state of disrepair at the home showed Mr Patel was breaching housing legislation and failing the tenants.

Of eight people found inside, two were children under the age of 13.

Eight people, including two children, were living in this house in Vivian Avenue, Wembley, which only has space and facilities for fiveEight people, including two children, were living in this house in Vivian Avenue, Wembley, which only has space and facilities for five (Image: Brent Council/LDRS)

Brent Council leader Cllr Muhammed Butt said: “This case shows how seriously we pursue landlords who try to exploit tenants in Brent. We won’t let rogue landlords deny renters their right to live in safe, decent and secure homes.”

He added: “Every rental property in Brent needs a licence to comply with the law. Landlords still operating without a licence in Brent should apply online today in order to avoid a knock on the door by our enforcement officers. Don’t get caught out, get licensed.”

Brent Council officers. They were alerted to the house in Vivian Avenue, Wembley, after a tenant complained of a rat infestationBrent Council officers. They were alerted to the house in Vivian Avenue, Wembley, after a tenant complained of a rat infestation, a leak and a broken toilet (Image: Brent Council/LDRS)

Borough-wide licensing has been the law since April 2024; it requires all landlords renting out properties in Brent, except Wembley Park, to obtain a licence. Street surveys are under way six months after the licensing scheme was introduced, with officers actively looking for unlicensed privately rented homes. Landlords found illegally renting out their properties are likely to get a hefty fine and a possible criminal conviction.

Officers from the planning, antisocial behaviour and private housing services recently knocked on the door of every house in Stanley Avenue, Wembley, to hear of any concerns about antisocial behaviour and, where the property was a rental home, asking if it was licensed and free of serious hazards.

The hallway of the overcrowded rental house in Vivian Avenue, WembleyThe hallway of the overcrowded rental house in Vivian Avenue, Wembley (Image: Brent Council/LDRS)

Cllr Butt said: “We are receiving licensing applications, but we know there are many more applications still to be made. We have intelligence on certain streets with evidence to suggest that tenants might be living in unlicensed properties, or in properties that are in breach of planning regulations, and those are the areas we are targeting through our street patrols.”

He added: “No rogue landlord will slip through the net in Brent: if you are a landlord in Brent and your property is unlicensed, we will find you and you will face prosecution and hefty fines.”