King strips OBE from Hounslow landlord Nirpaul Riat

King Charles has revoked the OBE awarded to Hounslow landlord Nirpaul Riat. The decision by the Cabinet Office confirms that Riat’s conduct has brought the honours system into disrepute. This action follows a significant fine of £300,000 imposed on Riat in 2023 for renting out properties in squalid conditions.

Decades of Property Breaches

Riat was penalised by judges at Isleworth Crown Court in 2023 for managing illegally converted houses over a period of two decades. His breaches included converting a property into eight flats and renting out an outbuilding in Osterley, west London. The properties were found to be damp, mouldy, and lacking adequate heating or hot water, forcing vulnerable tenants to live in what was described as "terrible conditions".

This is not the first time Riat has faced penalties for property conversion breaches. He was previously fined £20,000 in 2009 for failing to obtain permission to convert a property in Hanworth, also within the Hounslow borough, into flats. The 2023 fine of £300,000 was reported as one of the largest financial penalties ever issued to a property owner in west London.

Honour Awarded and Revoked

Nirpaul Riat received his OBE in 2011 in recognition of his services to charity and the Punjabi people. He had raised nearly £50,000 for organisations including air ambulance services, Thames Valley Crime Stoppers, and Great Ormond Street Hospital. However, his subsequent actions as a landlord led to the revocation of this honour.

Tom Bruce, deputy leader of Hounslow Council, stated in 2023 that Riat had "grown rich at their expense" while residents lived in appalling conditions. He publicly called for Riat’s honour to be rescinded at the time of the conviction, and the council formally submitted a request. Mr Bruce welcomed the latest decision, stating that the stripping of the OBE, combined with the substantial fine, sends a clear message that exploiting tenants and profiting from unacceptable living conditions will not be tolerated in Hounslow.

The Cabinet Office confirmed the removal of Riat's honour, stating that his conduct had "brought the honours system into disrepute." Hounslow Council has indicated its commitment to protecting tenants and holding rogue landlords accountable through all available measures.