A Fulham landlord, accused of forcing his tenants to live in squalor, has had his bid to overturn an order prohibiting him from renting out the same property dismissed.

At least five people rented space from Rizwan Ahmed at 796 Fulham Road, but a London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham tribunal was told that when council officers inspected the property in December 2009, they were appalled with what they saw.

The ground floor rear room was described as little more than a concrete cell and there was no floor covering, just a bed, fridge and sink. Ahmed claimed that the room was unoccupied by the inspection revealed that there was fresh food in the fridge, clothing and other personal items in the room.

Officers noticed that some re-plastering work had taken place in an upstairs room but were horrified to see that the occupant’s possessions were splattered in plaster.

The officers said the bathroom had no heating or hot water and it was not possible to tell if the gas boiler was working.

The shower had no light and dangerous electrics, a sink had been installed but again there was no hot water.

As a result of these findings, Rizwan was banned from renting out the property. He made a number of superficial improvements and appealed the council’s decision at a residential property tribunal, claiming that more remedial work could be done while the tenants were in situ.

The appeal was dismissed when the tribunal adjudicated that the only way to get the property up to standard where it is habitable and safe was to keep the prohibition order in place.

Cllr Nick Botterill, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment with the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham, said: “Ahmed forced his tenants to live in squalid conditions, stripping them of their dignity. I am delighted that his appeal has been dismissed. The council will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that tenants rights are upheld and landlords ensure that their properties are fit to live in.”