The owners of a central Hamilton house are facing an $8,000 fine for renting out illegal units in the home.

Attila and Izabella Bauer pleaded guilty to the zoning bylaw offence in the Ontario Court of Justice. They had been renting out five units at 158 Wentworth St. S. — a property zoned as a single-family dwelling.

Hamilton bylaw officers began investigating in June 2013, finding that the occupants were on a single lease but were paying rent individually, the city said in a news release.

In an earlier decision, the Ontario Municipal Board had approved converting the home into "not more than four dwelling units."

However, the city said the owners never applied for a building permit and the property continued to be officially recognized as a single-family home.

The Bauers told the court they started the process to convert the house into four units and recognize they need to reduce the number of existing tenants, the release said.

They have six months to pay the $8,000 and 120 days to bring the property into compliance.

The maximum fine for initial zoning bylaw offences is $25,000 for individuals and $50,000 for corporations.

"These bylaws are primarily in place to protect the public and are legally enforceable," senior bylaw director Marty Hazell said in the release.

He said bylaw staff "always respond to reports of properties operating outside their current permitted use."