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

Britain’s equestrian homes average value of £1.3m

South East accounts for one in five opportunities The latest research from LandSale, the property portal dedicated to land and rural property, has found that those inspired to enter the equestrian world following Royal Ascot this week will need a budget of £1.265m in order to get started, with the South East home to the…
Read More
Breaking News

Interest-only mortgage stock reduces by 17 per cent in 2025

Key points: There were 445,000 pure interest-only homeowner mortgages outstanding at the end of 2025, 17.7 per cent fewer than in 2024. In addition there were 156,000 partial interest-only (part and part) homeowner mortgages outstanding at the end of 2025, 10.3 per cent fewer than in 2024. The total interest-only mortgage stock (including part and…
Read More
Breaking News

5 building materials that give home sellers nightmares

The latest market insight from House Buyer Bureau has highlighted five building materials that can be a nightmare for homeowners, as they severely impact a property’s value, make it difficult to mortgage, and can prevent them from securing a buyer. House Buyer Bureau analysed some of the most problematic building materials found within UK homes,…
Read More
Breaking News

UK House Price Index for April 2026

The latest UK House Price Index for April 2026 shows that: The average monthly rate of UK house price growth in April was +0.7%. Average UK house price annual inflation was 3.8% in the 12 months to April 2026. As a result, the average UK house price currently sits at £270,080.   Here is how…
Read More
Breaking News

Private rent and house prices, UK: June 2026

Main points Average UK monthly private rent inflation continued to slow, increasing by 3.3%, to £1,383, in the 12 months to May 2026 (provisional estimate); this annual growth rate is down from 3.5% in the 12 months to April 2026. Average rents increased to £1,442 (3.4%) in England, £836 (4.7%) in Wales, and £1,009 (1.0%)…
Read More
Breaking News

A decade of change in Britain’s rental market

Rental stock rises in England but falls in Scotland and Wales as rents increase by 45% over the last decade New research by LegalforLandlords reveals that Britain’s private rented sector (PRS) has grown by an estimated 6.6% over the past decade. However, while rental stock has increased overall, significant regional differences have emerged across England,…
Read More