Rogue landlord fined £81,000 over illegal outbuilding rental

A landlord has been fined more than £81,000 after being prosecuted by London Borough of Hounslow for renting out an illegal and unsafe outbuilding as residential accommodation.

Rajinder Singh Pander, of Windsor in Berkshire, was sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court on 23 December 2025 following the unlawful construction and use of an outbuilding at a property on Worthing Road, Hounslow.

The court heard that the outbuilding failed to meet basic planning, housing and residential standards and was wholly unsuitable for people to live in.

Occupants were forced to live in cramped and substandard conditions, raising serious concerns about their health and wellbeing.

Despite being instructed by the council that the structure was unsafe, Mr Pander continued to rent out the outbuilding. An Enforcement Notice was later served requiring the building to be demolished, but this was ignored and the outbuilding remained in use as unlawful rental accommodation.

The judge found the offence to be at the higher end of negligent culpability.

Mr Pander was fined £14,000, reduced from £21,000 to reflect a guilty plea, and ordered to pay £7,547.15 in costs. The total financial penalty imposed was £81,043.88.

Tom Bruce, Deputy Leader of Hounslow Council, said the prosecution sent a clear message. “We will not tolerate landlords who put profit before people’s safety,” he said. “This outbuilding was wholly unsuitable for residential use and should never have been occupied. We always take robust enforcement action against those who choose to flout the law and undermine residents’ safety.”

Residents with concerns about unsafe or illegal accommodation in the borough are encouraged to report them to the council.

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