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

UK Gov announcement capping ground rents at £250

The Government has announced that it will cap ground rents at £250 per year in England and Wales, as part of changes to the leasehold system. The measures announced by the Prime Minister aim to give homeowners greater control over their properties and include new leasehold flats to be banned and existing leaseholders getting the…
Read More
Breaking News

Landlords behind the curve on tax changes, and tenants could pay the price

Millions of renters are facing another cost-of-living hit, thanks to a botched tax overhaul and landlords who admit they don’t know what they’re doing. A new survey suggests most landlords are woefully unprepared for Making Tax Digital (MTD), a government tax overhaul due to begin this April. Just 1 in 8 landlords say they understand…
Read More
Breaking News

Rental Inflation Grinds to a Halt as Rent Controls Arrive in Scotland

Rental growth falls close to zero at just 0.2% Rents fall in real terms as new Act gives rise to controls Caution advised for future council market analyses   National rental growth falls to near zero as new rent control powers land in Scotland’s Private Rented Sector. The latest Citylets report shows the rate of…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

Buying schemes remain in high demand but short supply across England

The latest research from Yopa, the full-service estate agents, reveals that whilst buying schemes designed to to help homebuyers onto the ladder are in high demand, the stock availability of properties with such offerings is low. Yopa has analysed the current market for for-sale housing stock in England, looking at what proportion of homes currently…
Read More
Breaking News

Draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill

ALEP (the Association of Leasehold Enfranchisement Practitioners) has welcomed the publication of the Draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill, describing it as an important step in the government’s long stated aim to modernise tenure structures in England and Wales. The draft Bill, published as a policy paper, sets out to reinvigorate and reform the commonhold…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

New Phase for London’s Super-Prime Market

By Daniel Austin, CEO and co-founder at ASK Partners London’s super-prime residential market is entering a new phase, defined not by retrenchment, but by renewed global interest, improved value and a subtle shift in buyer dynamics. After several years of price adjustment, the capital is attracting a fresh wave of internationally mobile purchasers who see…
Read More