Council reports landlord convicted over fraudulent Private Rental Property Licence application

Article summary

Waltham Forest Council has reported that a private landlord, Wasib Iqbal, has been convicted of three charges of fraud, for suppling false information to support a Private Rental Property Licence application. Iqbal failed to obtain planning permission for the conversion of a property into self-contained flats, and then lied about the date of the conversion in an attempt to escape enforcement for the planning breach. Iqbal then involved others in the fraud by producing witness statements from neighbours supporting their false contention that the property was converted much earlier than was actually the case. The investigation was conducted by the Council’s Audit & Fraud team with assistance from Planning Enforcement, Property Licencing, and Revenues. Iqbal pleaded guilty to the charges at Snaresbrook Crown Court, and has been given a 22-month suspended sentence, 200 hours of unpaid work within the community and a £35,000 confiscation order. The full costs of £5,902 were also awarded to the...