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

Housing market trends highlight a changing landscape

The housing market has seen many challenges across the year to date and, in many ways, the property landscape has been a year of two extremes already.   At the start of the year, there was a quiet but optimistic consumer confidence in the air.   However, with the global economy impacting almost every aspect…
Read More
Breaking News

Mortgage rate rises loom as major lenders reprice

Major lenders have moved to increase mortgage rates to catch up with recent rises to swap rates, according to Moneyfactscompare.co.uk analysis.   Over the coming days, more lenders are expected to review mortgage rates in response to higher swap rates, with HSBC and NatWest so far the biggest banks to increase rates since the start…
Read More
Breaking News

Average house price edged down in August

House prices in August 2026 were -0.4% lower compared to the same month a year earlier.   Average house price edged down in August as market remains subdued • House prices fell slightly in August ( -0.2%), following a -0.1% decrease in July • Average property price now £298,468 compared with £299,153 in July •…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

A derelict property will still set you back £240,000

The latest data from LandSale, the property portal dedicated to land and rural property, reveals that buyers looking to breathe new life into a derelict property could face an asking price as high as £237,500 on average, highlighting the substantial value still attached to redevelopment opportunities across Britain.   Britain continues to struggle with a severe…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

Selling an Inherited Property in Scotland: A Clear Guide

Selling an inherited property in Scotland can begin only once confirmation, the Scottish equivalent of probate, has been granted by the court. Until that legal authority is in place, the executor cannot complete a sale, so grasping the sequence early saves later frustration. Families who would rather not manage a long marketing process sometimes approach…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 3/9/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   The imminent interest rate hike is going to be a real reckoner for property   When interest rates rise again, Britain’s housing market will discover what it is really worth   Thought Leadership by Andrew Stanton CEO Proptech-PR For more than a decade, Britain’s housing…
Read More