The joint-owners of a Hobbit-sized flat have been fined more than £80,000 after letting the property to tenants illegally.
The basement apartment, which contains a small kitchen and bathroom with a staircase leading to another room with a bed, was deemed 'inadequate' by authorities owing to its small size and lack of sunlight, BirminghamLive reported. Officers described the property - situated in Selly Oak, south west Birmingham - as 'unpleasant' and 'dark', allowing very little light with an outlook onto the street 'impossible'.
In a case that went to Birmingham Crown Court on December 15, two defendants were ordered to pay £4,000 each within two months - or face three months in prison. The pair have also been given three months to pay a confiscation order of £67,000 or face 16 months in prison.
