The woman did not seek planning permission from Ealing Council
16:37, 31 Oct 2025Updated 16:39, 31 Oct 2025
The house Ms Al-Hadethee had unlawfully converted into a hotel then ten flats(Image: Google)
A West London woman has been ordered to pay more than £400,000 after she was caught renting 10 “flats” in her illegally converted house. Sanaa Al-Hadethee, an Ealing resident, had been using her six-bedroom terraced house in Perivale as a hotel without authorisation prior to converting it in to 10 flats.
On September 26, 2025, at Snaresbrook Crown Court, Ms Al-Hadethee, who gave her address to the court as Chelsea Manor Street, Chelsea, was ordered to pay a total of more than £430,000. Ms Al-Hadethee had ignored years of enforcement notices served to her by Ealing Council, which is a criminal offence. It is unlawful to make extensive operations to a home without gaining planning permission from the council beforehand.
Following site inspections and a long running investigation, the council issued Ms Al-Hadethee with a notice in April 2018 to stop using the property as a hotel and remove the newly installed bathrooms and kitchens.
Following this, Ms Al-Hadethee stopped using the property as a hotel, opting to convert it into 10 flats, with all the prior bathrooms and kitchens still in place. These flats were being let to tenants on long-term contracts. The house was effectively split into 10 rooms, with small kitchens and a bathroom. These were then marketed as single flats.
A kitchen in one of the “flats” rented out by Ms Al-Hadethee(Image: Ealing Council)
This led to a second round of council enforcement action in September 2022. Ms Al-Hadethee appealed the notice, however this was dismissed by the national Planning Inspectorate in May 2022. Ms Al-Hadethee was ordered to bring the property at 76 Horsenden Lane South into compliance with the law by November 2022 – effectively forcing her to convert it back into a six-bedroom home.
She then attempted to challenge the decision by judicial review, and failed. Following a period of adjourned hearings, the outcome of her appeal was delayed due to delays in the courts following the Covid pandemic, Ms Al-Hadethee was eventually convicted at Aldersgate House Nightingale Court in June 2024.
The case was then referred to crown court, with proceedings concluding in September 2025. It was here Ms Al-Hadethee was ordered to pay £405,728.08 under the proceeds of crime act.
She was also forced to pay a £5,000 fine and £20,000 in court costs. In total, Ms Al-Hadethee ended up paying £430,728.08.
Councillor Shital Manro, the council’s cabinet member for good growth and new homes, said: “This case shows our commitment to protecting residents by enforcing planning rules and ensuring unlawful development isn’t profitable. The outcome reflects the seriousness of these breaches.
“Most landlords act responsibly and play a vital role in the local housing market, but there is a small minority who are willing to risk safety for a quick pay out. Anyone planning significant changes to their property must seek approval first. We will continue taking strong action to protect private tenants and ensure they live in safe, well-maintained homes.”
Have a story you want to share? Email philip.lynch@reachplc.com or @pjlynchjourno on X.
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