Landlord is forced to demolish bed in shed
Woman had already been ordered to pay £6,500
A LANDLORD who rented out an illegal outbuilding has demolished her ‘bed in shed’, just days before enforcement officers were scheduled to tear it down.
Ru k h s h a n a - K a u s a r Chaudry had already been ordered to pay £6,500 for failing to comply with an enforcement notice relating to the building in Blyth Road, Hayes, in December last year.
Hillingdon Council warned her that if she failed to demolish the property, the authority would do it, charging her for the work.
A demolition team was ready to tear down the structure last week, but while making final checks, officers found that Chaudry had finally done it herself.
Last year, councillor Keith Burrows, cabinet member for planning, transportation and recycling, accompanied council and home office enforcement officers on the dawn raid that originally confirmed the building was being lived in and rented out, along with Mark Harper, the government’s immigration minister at the time.
Councillor Burrows said: “This is a great result.
“We are seeing an increase in cases where owners are taking heed of our warnings and knocking down these buildings.
“We have a dedicated team of officers tackling beds in sheds and we will take action against these rogue landlords.
“These people are breaking the law and could face prosecution.”
The council has stepped up its efforts to prosecute landlords illegally renting out ‘beds in sheds’ in recent months.