A ROGUE landlord who converted two Haringey houses into flats without permission was fined £20,000 earlier this month.

Taskin Izzett, of Waltham Cross, owned houses in Hewitt Avenue, Wood Green, and Burgoyne Road, which had been illegally converted into a total of nine single flats.

It triggered a string of complaints from residents and Haringey Council officers served notices on Izzett which he ignored resulting in the dispute into magistrates court.

Izzett was accused of failing to comply with the council's enforcement notice, but refused to attend court to answer the charges.

He was later arrested after a warrant was issued for his arrest.

He appeared in court on September 8, 2010, and pleaded not guilty citing he was unaware of notices served on him and maintained the properties were already converted when he bought them.

His defence was rejected and he was fined £10,000 for each house, plus costs.

Councillor Nilgun Canver, cabinet member for neighbourhoods, said: "Landlords must comply with notices and we will take action of they do not.

"Unauthorised conversions can cause problems for neighbours and we ask landlords to work with us to make sure their properties comply with legislation."