Barking and Dagenham Council has vowed to root out “exploitative landlords”.

A series of morning raids were carried out across the borough of Barking and Dagenham in further attempts to catch out a growing list of ‘rogue landlords’ who are exploiting the current housing shortage across London. A total of seventeen people were found crammed within one single three bedroom property. In total, the raids reported that  over 50 adults and children were found to be living within seven properties around the borough.

Barking and Dagenham, reported recently as one of the cheapest places to purchase close to London, is having a rush of investors looking to add to their portfolios knowing that shortage of rental means they are likely to see good returns. One property sold in the area who we spoke to said their property sold within the first day and has since had many private individuals still knowing at their door offering cash purchase should their sale fall through…

Council leader Darren Rodwell said: “We will not accept these appalling Dickensian conditions.
The aim of the council is to continue to drive out rogue landlords and improve the overall living standards for tenants across the region. This is helped by the £250,000 received from the Government for it’s licensing scheme.

Councillor Laila Butt, cabinet member for crime and enforcement, is quoted as saying: “This money is helpful. But the problem is London’s ludicrous housing and rental market, which is why we have exploitative, rogue landlords making a mint out of other’s misery.

If you want answers to any issues that you have locally re landlords, housing, tenants and more then do think about using the likes of Twitter where many MP’s can be found and most are very open to taking questions and offering feedback and advice. Though Councillor Laila Butt’s tweets are protected and confirmed followers have access to @CllrLailaButt’s Tweets and complete profile.

Across London there are issues with rogue landlords, Evening Standard reported back in November 2015 re the “converted single north London house into NINE flats… and raked in £100k rent a year“.

Christopher Walkey

Founder of Estate Agent Networking. Internationally invited speaker on how to build online target audiences using Social Media. Writes about UK property prices, housing, politics and affordable homes.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Breaking Property News 20/12/24

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   Why estate and letting agents must embrace innovative technology in 2025   As we step into 2025, the UK property market continues to shift, and estate agents face mounting pressure to meet the evolving expectations of buyers and sellers. The days when static images sufficed…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 19/12/24

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   High street Auctions’ initiative launches to revive Britain’s town centres   This month the UK Government rolls out its highly anticipated ‘High Street Auctions’ scheme, a flagship measure of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023. This initiative grants local authorities the power to take…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

Moving Up In The World: Finding Your Dream Home

Finding your dream home is one of life’s most exciting and transformative experiences. Whether you’re looking to upsize, relocate, or finally purchase that ideal property you’ve always envisioned, the journey is both thrilling and filled with important decisions. As you embark on this path, it’s essential to plan carefully, consider your priorities, and approach the…
Read More
new build home fronts
Breaking News

These cities are the keenest to move house in 2025

Bournemouth is the keenest area in the UK to move home, with 38,132 average monthly searches for moving-related topics per 100,000 residents. Plymouth is second, with 35,198 average monthly searches for moving, and Birmingham is third, with 35,181. Derry is the least keen area to move house, with only 3,170 average monthly searches related to…
Read More
Love or Hate Rightmove
Breaking News

Number of rental enquiries still double pre-pandemic, as rents predicted to rise 3%

The average number of enquiries sent to agents about each available property they have to rent is still nearly double the level it was in 2019, despite improvements in the balance between supply and demand: Each available property receives an average of 11 enquiries, nearly double the 6 at this time in 2019 This is…
Read More
bank of england interest rate
Breaking News

Response to the Bank of England interest rates decision

Response to the Bank of England interest rates decision, thoughts from the Industry Rates were left unchanged at 4.75% MPC voted 6 to 3 in favour of holding rates flat, with three members preferring to cut rates by 0.25% to 4.5% In the near-term inflation is expected to “continue to rise slightly” The market was expecting rates to remain…
Read More