Landlord Slapped with £5,000 Fine for Renting Out ‘Bed in a Shed’ for Over Three Years
Illegal Outbuilding Rented as Self-Contained Home
Paul Vig, a landlord from Farnham Common, has been hit with a hefty £5,000 fine for illegally letting out a garden outbuilding as a self-contained home for more than three years. Despite a 2015 Planning Enforcement Notice banning such use, Vig transformed the shed at a property in Reddington Drive, Langley, into what’s known as a ‘bed in a shed’ – complete with a shower room, washing machine, and other white goods.
Judge Drags Landlord to Court Over Flouting Rules
When Vig later applied for a licence to run a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO), officials discovered the outbuilding was still fully equipped to be an independent residential unit, despite some appliances being removed. The 58-year-old and his wife Maria admitted breaching the enforcement notice between September 2016 and July 2019. They had been renting the shed out for £160 a week, pocketing thousands.
Judge Emma Nott condemned the landlord’s blatant disregard for the law, ordering him to pay £8,161 towards council costs. She warned Vig that failure to pay the fine within six months could land him three months behind bars. Mrs Vig, aged 40, escaped jail with a six-month conditional discharge, acknowledged as a passive landlord only on paper and ordered to pay £4,000 of the council’s expenses.
Council Vows Crackdown on ‘Beds in Sheds’
“Beds in sheds will not be tolerated in the borough. They are not suitable accommodation and are designed to exploit the vulnerable,” said Councillor Beni Bains, cabinet member for regulation and public protection.
The judge highlighted the length of the offence, financial gains made, poor living conditions, and the impact on the main property’s tenant as key factors in the sentencing.
The Takeaway for Landlords
- Ignoring planning enforcement notices can cost thousands.
- ‘Beds in sheds’ face tougher scrutiny and legal action.
- Landlords must ensure all rentals comply with regulations — or risk fines and prison.
