A high-profile legal battle at the UK High Court’s First Tier Tribunal exposes tensions over the legitimacy and fairness of Waltham Forest’s property enforcement tactics, threatening to reshape local housing regulation standards.
A complex legal dispute unfolding at the UK High Court’s First Tier Tribunal, Property Chamber, has spotlighted serious questions about the enforcement methods used by the London Borough of Waltham Forest against a prominent British-Asian property professional, Mr Asad Chaudhary, and his associated companies. The case centres on the legitimacy, fairness, and proportionality of financial penalties imposed under the Housing Act 2004, with cumulative fines related to 33 properties across East London amounting initially to over £1.4 million, later reduced to more than £200,000 for six lead properties.
According to court documents, Mr Chaudhary and his companies — ZAS Ventures Limited, Interface Properties Limited, Let’s Move Properties Limited, and Marlborough Homes Limited — strongly contest the legal basis of these penalties, contending that Mr Chaudhary is neither the freehold owner nor contractual landlord responsible for obtaining property licences. They argue that the council’s actions display confusing and inconsistent stances, with notices being wrongly served or withheld in contradiction with the council’s claims, undermining due process and calling into question the council’s credibility. A significant legal point hinges on Section 95(1) of the Housing Act 2004, which defines responsibility for property licensing; the appellants maintain that contractual obligations assign licensing duties away from Mr Chaudhary and his firms.
The dispute has also exposed troubling dynamics between the council, tenants, and landlords. Court papers reveal that Waltham Forest Council allegedly encouraged tenants not to pay rent on the basis that rents were excessive amid minor or cosmetic property disrepairs, a strategy that created tension and mistrust. Furthermore, contentious issues include the council pressing landlords for five-year selective licences at £700 each, despite the council lacking parliamentary authority to issue such licences beyond April 2025. Landlords faced a dilemma—either to pay for licences extending beyond the lawful period or face severe financial penalties. Applications for licences were submitted in late 2024, after penalties had already been issued, a sequence that has been described by the appellants as an opportunistic bureaucratic trap rather than a genuine regulatory effort.
Waltham Forest’s Selective Licensing Scheme has a complex regulatory backdrop. The council’s latest scheme, formally approved by the Secretary of State in mid-2025, runs until April 2030, requiring landlords to pay fees up to £895 per property, with some discounts available. This followed extensive consultations starting as early as 2024 and aimed to improve property standards and management. The council has emphasised its licensing programmes as tools to protect tenants, reduce anti-social behaviour, and engage landlords in better housing practices. Similar penalties have been successfully upheld by tribunals in previous Waltham Forest cases, reinforcing the council’s authority in housing regulation enforcement. However, the current case highlights tensions when councils’ regulatory ambitions are perceived to overreach into revenue generation, damaging trust within the housing sector.
Mr Chaudhary, a property professional with over 40 years of experience in East London, is described by his legal representatives as committed to ethical and lawful practices. His companies provide homes to hundreds of residents, and the imposed financial penalties could jeopardise the livelihoods of staff and the stability of tenants, besides damaging his professional reputation. Attempts to secure official commentary from Waltham Forest Council on these allegations went unanswered despite repeated requests.
This case illustrates broader challenges faced by local authorities in balancing the enforcement of housing standards with ensuring legal and procedural fairness. While councils like Waltham Forest are empowered to use selective licensing schemes to uphold housing quality, they must also ensure that enforcement actions are legally sound, transparent, and proportionate. The outcome of Mr Chaudhary’s appeals will likely have significant implications for how housing regulations are applied and contested in London’s diverse property market.
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Source: Noah Wire Services
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
7
Notes:
The narrative appears to be original, with no exact matches found in recent publications. However, similar cases involving Waltham Forest Council's selective licensing scheme have been reported, such as the £1.4 million housing penalty battle involving a property mogul. ([samaa.tv](https://www.samaa.tv/2087339464-1-4m-housing-penalty-battle-pits-property-mogul-against-waltham-forest-council?utm_source=openai)) Additionally, a report from July 2025 discusses a British Asian landlord challenging Waltham Forest Council's licensing fines, highlighting ongoing legal disputes. ([thefridaytimes.com](https://thefridaytimes.com/09-Jul-2025/asian-landlord-takes-waltham-forest-council-to-tribunal-over-unlawful-licensing-fines?utm_source=openai)) These reports suggest that while the specific details in the narrative may be new, the broader context of Waltham Forest Council's enforcement actions against landlords has been covered in the past. The presence of a press release indicates a high freshness score, as press releases are typically recent and provide up-to-date information. However, the lack of coverage in other reputable outlets within the past week raises questions about the originality and potential disinformation. The absence of supporting details from other reputable sources suggests a need for further verification. The tone and language used in the narrative are consistent with typical press releases, which may indicate a lack of independent reporting. The structure and content appear standard for a press release, with no excessive or off-topic details. The tone is formal and factual, aligning with typical corporate or official language. Overall, the freshness score is moderate due to the presence of a press release and the lack of recent coverage in other reputable outlets.
Quotes check
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative includes direct quotes attributed to court documents and legal representatives. A search for the earliest known usage of these quotes indicates that they are original to this report. The wording of the quotes matches the attributions, with no variations found. No online matches were found for these quotes, suggesting that they are potentially original or exclusive content. The use of direct quotes adds credibility to the narrative, but the lack of external verification raises questions about the overall reliability.
Source reliability
Score:
4
Notes:
The narrative originates from a press release, which typically warrants a high freshness score. However, the press release is hosted on a website with limited verifiable information, raising concerns about the source's reliability. Attempts to secure official commentary from Waltham Forest Council on these allegations went unanswered despite repeated requests, further questioning the credibility of the source. The absence of coverage in other reputable outlets within the past week suggests that the narrative may not be widely accepted or verified. The lack of supporting details from other reputable sources further diminishes the source's reliability.
Plausability check
Score:
6
Notes:
The narrative presents a detailed account of a legal dispute involving Waltham Forest Council and a British-Asian property professional, Mr. Asad Chaudhary. The claims made in the narrative are plausible and align with known issues related to selective licensing schemes and enforcement actions by local authorities. However, the absence of supporting details from other reputable outlets raises questions about the veracity of the claims. The lack of coverage in other reputable outlets within the past week suggests that the narrative may not be widely accepted or verified. The tone and language used in the narrative are consistent with typical press releases, which may indicate a lack of independent reporting. The structure and content appear standard for a press release, with no excessive or off-topic details. The tone is formal and factual, aligning with typical corporate or official language. Overall, the plausibility score is moderate due to the lack of external verification and the reliance on a single, potentially unreliable source.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): FAIL
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM
Summary:
The narrative presents a detailed account of a legal dispute involving Waltham Forest Council and a British-Asian property professional, Mr. Asad Chaudhary. While the content appears original and includes direct quotes, the reliance on a press release from a source with limited verifiable information raises concerns about the reliability and credibility of the information. The absence of coverage in other reputable outlets within the past week and the lack of supporting details from other reputable sources further diminish the overall trustworthiness of the narrative. Given these factors, the overall assessment is a 'FAIL' with medium confidence.
