News
Haringey landlord prosecuted for illegally converting house to nine flats
A rogue landlord who illegally converted one Stroud Green house into a staggering nine flats had been fined £20,000 after being prosecuted by Haringey Council.
Andreas Stavrou Antoniades, 74, ignored repeated demands from council enforcement officers to stop using the property in Woodstock Road as separate flats, raking in an estimated £9,000 a month from letting the illegal flats.
A repeat offender, Antoniades had already been found guilty of a similar offence three years ago when he received a hefty £13,500 fine.
At Tottenham Magistrates Court, he was ordered to pay a fine of £20,000 plus £1,500 in costs and charges after pleading guilty to non-compliance with an planning enforcement notice.
Cllr Ali Demirci, Cabinet Member for Planning, said:
“This case showed a flagrant disregard for basic planning rules – causing misery for neighbours and putting the heritage of the area at risk.
“This whopping fine should send a clear message to those who think they can do what they like to buildings for financial gain that we will always prosecute when we find evidence of wrongdoing.“
Antoniades will now be forced to foot the bill for converting the building into three spacious flats that meet the council’s guidelines for modern, high-quality homes.
The council’s planning enforcement team regularly issues notices to property owners who have not followed guidelines when making changes to buildings, and will always seek to prosecute if these clear instructions are ignored.
In a recent Lambeth planning prosecution (read here), the council secured a much higher £427,000 penalty after using powers in the Proceeds of Crime Act to recover rental income received from the illegally converted flats.
