Illegal hostel in Sydney fined $100,000

A NSW taskforce is cracking down on the illegal use of industrial spaces for accommodation.

The biggest illegal backpacker hostel in Sydney just got fined $100,000

“Amr Hassan [a landlord who converted part of a supermarket into accommodation for backpackers] was convicted and fined $100,000 plus legal costs of $61,426 yesterday following an investigation by the council’s investigative strikeforce.
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“This case sends a message that illegal, dangerous accommodation networks will not be tolerated in the city, and the people who profit from them will be prosecuted,” she said.

Roy Cottam, the former Scotland Yard detective, said Amr Hassan had established the largest syndicate of unsafe and illegal accommodation the council had identified so far. “