A landlady was fined £5,000 after trying to avoid home licensing obligations by lying about how many people were renting her property.

Madhuben Shah, of Montana Road, Tooting, was found guilty under The Housing Act and was also ordered to pay £3,614 costs and £15 victim's surcharge, alongside the fine.

Mrs Shah rented her Montana Road property to six tenants, receiving £2,820 a month in rental payments.

But when informed that she needed a licence to rent to that many occupants, magistrates were told she tried to avoid the licensing checks by trying to convince housing officials that only four people lived there.

When her lie began to unravel, she was said to have bullied the tenants into signing a new tenancy agreement which said only four people lived there.

But the council had witness statements and tenancy agreements from all six tenants, stating they lived there and paid her rent.

Town hall housing spokesman Councillor Guy Senior said: "Mrs Shah was receiving substantial rental income from this property, yet for some reason failed to take the proper steps to have it licensed.

“This has turned out to be an expensive lesson for her."

Mrs Shah has signalled intentions to appeal her conviction and sentence.