Police probe over deaths at lawyer’s home ‘illegally let to 7 migrants’
‘A bit of an Arthur Daley type’
THE deaths of two Romanian migrants at a house owned by a glamorous lawyer were last night being investigated by police.
Two men, aged 35 and 42, were found dead after a suspected carbon monoxide leak in the rundown semi-detached home.
The local authority also began investigating yesterday after finding the house had been illegally let to seven tenants.
Five others living in the house were taken to hospital as a precaution following the leak on Sunday, which it is thought came from a faulty boiler.
Yesterday it emerged that Rehka Chelvendra, 34, a partner at a law firm, bought the property nearly seven years ago. Neighbours claimed that she had never lived there, with the house’s upkeep instead left to her father Christy Chelvendra, a retired accountant from Sri Lanka.
Last night, one of the tenants who survived the deadly gas leak claimed he had asked the landlord to change the allegedly faulty boiler nearly two weeks ago.
Neither Mr Chelvendra nor his daughter could be reached for comment at their £1million family home yesterday.
The local council said it would ‘take action’ against the landlord because the property was ‘ unlicensed’ to be rented out to multiple occupants. If found guilty, they could face an unlimited fine.
Land Registry documents show Miss Chelvendra bought the house in Edgware, North London, for £323,500 in June 2011.
Miss Chelvendra was educated at £ 17,000- a- year Haberdashers’ Aske’s School for Girls in Elstree, Hertfordshire, before studying law at Coventry University, according to her LinkedIn profile. In 2006, she joined legal firm Brightstone Law as a paralegal before working her way up to a partner in the awardwinning firm a decade later.
The company yesterday declined to comment.
Neighbours said her father Mr Chelvendra, who was often seen driving luxury cars, appeared to be responsible for the upkeep of the property. According to locals, the house was being rented by two Romanian families, including two children, who had moved in only over the past few weeks.
Last night one of the tenants, who gave his name as Daniel, said he had lived in London for more than four years and brought his wider family over from Romania.
He said that, after they moved in they had been assured the house would ‘be made nicer, but [the landlord] did nothing’. Returning to the house briefly last night, he said: ‘I told the landlord we need to coming, come. change I told I’m the coming,” him boiler. nearly He but two said, he weeks didn’t “I’m ago.’ He said one of the victims was his best friend, whom he had known since he was a baby. A source said that, when the house was sold in 2011, the boiler – thought to be in an annex room – to in was relation the landlords for over Health the 20 to safety gas years and are safety’. of ‘legally old. Safety their According tenants responsible Executive,
This means they must repair and maintain pipework, keep appliances in a safe condition, ensure annual gas safety checks and keep a record of them.
They are also required by law to provide a carbon monoxide alarm in any room used as living accommodation where solid fuel – such as – is a used. coal fire or wood burning fire
One neighbour, who refused to be named, said: ‘It’s very sad.
‘I thought it was a family living there and they have only been in a few months. It was a husband and wife with a little child. But it appears more people were living there.’ BMW Benz saloon Z3 Father-of-three home convertible, and has a a Mercedes Mini a Mercedes- Mr Cooper, Chelvendra’s SLK 280 while sports a Bentley car Continental on the driveway, S was said to be kept in the garage. Neighbours said he owned ‘a number of properties’. One local, who refused to be named, described Mr Chelvendra as ‘a bit of an Arthur Daley type’ who always wore a suit with a big collar and drove fancy cars. Another said: ‘He’s really into his
cars. I think Chris is retired, they have lived here for at least 18 years. He seems like a nice guy and law-abiding.’ Harrow Council said: ‘We will be taking action against the landlord for operating an unlicensed HMO [house in multiple occupation].’ The Health and Safety Executive said it was helping police with their investigation. The Metropolitan Police said the two deaths were being treated as unexplained but it was believed there may have been a carbon monoxide leak.