Landlord Chad Miah and managing agent All Season Lettings and Management have been ordered to pay more than £91,000 after Redbridge Council uncovered dangerous conditions and cannabis being grown at an east London rental property.

When housing officers first inspected the five-bedroom house in Wanstead, they found it empty and in serious disrepair, and warned the managing agent that major repairs would be needed before it could be occupied again.

Siphoning electricity

A follow-up inspection, however, found ten unrelated men living at the property alongside what the council described as five serious hazards. Officers also discovered the house had been used to grow drugs and electricity was being illegally siphoned from the National Grid.

The council then issued a prohibition order banning anyone from living at the property until the hazards had been resolved.

Prosecutors said Miah and All Season Lettings and Management ignored the order and continued renting out the house for more than a year.

The Metropolitan Police also investigated the address, leading to one unnamed person being arrested.

We will always use the strongest powers available to make sure no one gains from exploiting tenants.”

The pair were later prosecuted at Snaresbrook Crown Court under the Proceeds of Crime Act and ordered to pay £91,068 in fines, costs and confiscation orders.

Saima Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness, told the Standard: “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.

“Our zero tolerance approach means we’ll take action every time and we will always use the strongest powers available to make sure no one gains from exploiting tenants.”