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

Fewer than 3% of London rental homes available

The latest research from Benham and Reeves has found that fewer than 3% of London’s private rental homes are currently available to tenants, highlighting the severe lack of supply across the capital at a time when further legislative changes could place additional strain on supply within the sector. Benham and Reeves analysed current rental market…
Read More
Adding second coat of varnish floor boards
Home and Living

Cottagecore Design

The term “cottagecore design” has risen by 100% since November 2025, with the term “cottagecore” itself now getting nearly 10,000 searches (9,900), according to Traditional Beams. Cottagecore refers to an aesthetic that romanticises simple, rural and sustainable living, popularised on platforms such as Instagram and Tiktok, and embraces a cosy and pastoral lifestyle. However, while…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

Property specialist predicts spike in traditional interiors after Bridgerton hit

With Bridgerton Season 4 debuting with an impressive 39.7 million views in its first week on Netflix, property specialist predicts that traditional interiors will be the biggest renovation trend of 2026. Mitchell Martyn, Property Finance Specialist at Pure Property Finance, predicts that the appetite for traditional, heritage-inspired interiors is set to surge once again. As…
Read More
Breaking News

Reduced supply of homes to landlords selling up

2025 saw Westminster enact one of the biggest changes to England’s private rental sector in decades via the Renters’ Rights Act, and it has already triggered a mixed response from those working in the property industry alongside landlords. One of the biggest changes includes the retirement of section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions. This is a move…
Read More
Estate Agents should not all look the same
Letting Agent Talk

The Art of the Add-On: 5 Simple Ways Letting Agents Can Upsell in 2026

Letting agents are brilliant at delivering value, but not always brilliant at charging for it, according to Sally Lawson… Here are her five simple steps for charging for what you’re worth (and more) this year. “Far too many agents bundle services together, do the extra work, solve problems, take calls, fix issues. And they never…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Rightmove reaction to the Bank of England Base Rate decision

Matt Smith, Mortgage Expert at Rightmove, said: “Today’s decision to hold the Bank Rate was widely expected, and for most homeowners and home‑buyers, there’s no immediate change to worry about. For those looking to secure a new mortgage rate or coming up to remortgage, even small rises in rates can have a real impact on…
Read More