Posts with tag: rogue landlords

Former East London police station was illegal hostel

Published On: September 10, 2015 at 10:42 am

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An unused police station in Barking, East London, has recently been discovered to have been turned into an illegal hostel. An anonymous tip off led to police and housing officers raiding the property, where 30 people were found to be residing.

Illegal lodging

The property on Ripple Road was raided on Friday, having been sold off as a police station in 2013. A team from Barking and Dagenham Council’s enforcement team found the large number of tenants living in five rooms, in what was an apparent ‘beds for hire’ hostel.

Inside the building were a number of mattresses and wardrobes packed with clothing. In addition, the team found a washing machine and a television. The telltale sign that the property was occupied was a notice informing residents to do their own washing up.

Zero-tolerance

‘Our war on rogue landlords will be relentless,’ said cabinet minister for crime and enforcement councillor Laila Butt. ‘We will not tolerate overcrowding in Barking and Dagenham and anyone making a mint out of others’ misery.’[1]

Former East London police station was illegal hostel

Former East London police station was illegal hostel

Both the police and the local council plan on speaking to the owners of the building following the raid on the property. Deputy Borough Commander Supt Sean Wilson commented that, ‘local neighbourhood police officers supported the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Enforcement Officers in their closing of this venue.’[1]

‘The excellent work by the local authority has ensured that this venue can no longer be used for illicit purposes,’ he added.[1]

[1] https://www.landlordtoday.co.uk/breaking-news/2015/9/east-london-police-station-turned-into-illegal-hostel

 

 

Calls for Harsher Penalties for Rogue Landlords and Agents

Published On: September 10, 2015 at 10:32 am

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According to the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH), a “fundamental review” of private rental sector legislation is necessary to tackle rogue landlords and letting agents.

In a response to the Government’s technical discussion paper on tackling rogue landlords and agents in the private rental sector, the CIEH believes harsher penalties are needed to deter rogue landlords, including minimum fines of £5,000 and imprisonment terms for those that breach bans.

Calls for Harsher Penalties for Rogue Landlords and Agents

Calls for Harsher Penalties for Rogue Landlords and Agents

The CIEH states: “It is our view that a fundamental review and consolidation of the entire legislative framework is necessary to bring about comprehensive reform and rejuvenation.”

Responding to the question: ‘Do fines reflect the gravity of a (landlord’s) offence?’ the CIEH says: “No, the fines are almost always too low and do not consider the severe impact (or potential impact) on the tenants or reflect the significant capital and revenue gains to landlords.

“Courts should be required to consider the impact on the tenants and the total assets/rental streams when setting the fine. A minimum fine of, say, £5,000 would be more appropriate.

“We would support setting a minimum fine for repeat offenders, with £7,500 being our preferred level. Courts should consider the impact on and assets of landlords in setting the fine, whilst we would also support giving the courts the power to ban repeat offenders from managing or letting properties for a defined period.”

When asked if it thinks there should be a blacklist of persistent rogue landlords and agents, the CIEH replied: “We support in principle the establishment of such a blacklist on the basis it should make it easier for local authorities to carry out checks on landlords. Our concern is that landlords may not be afraid of being blacklisted.

“The database should include lettings related data, such as gas, electricity and Land Registry information, and should be accessible to tenants. All landlords should be registered to a UK-based address or provide a UK representative for service of formal notices.”

The organisation also believes it should be mandatory for offenders to be placed on the blacklist, and not left to the court’s discretion.

It says a “term of imprisonment”1 was justified for landlords that breach bans, as well as forced property sales, rent payment orders and action under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

1 http://www.propertyindustryeye.com/call-for-harsher-penalties-to-deter-rogue-agents-and-landlords/

Shelter Responds to RLA Criticism

Published On: September 9, 2015 at 11:52 am

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Housing charity Shelter has responded to criticisms of facts it included in press releases put out recently, regarding tenants who have been victims of abuse from their landlords.

Last week, Shelter revealed in an England-wide press release that 125,000 tenants in the private rental sector have faced “harassments, threats or assault from their landlord in the last year alone.”1

It also put out other press releases, including one specifically for the North West and another for the Midlands, stating that around 100,000 and 120,000 tenants respectively had experienced “an act by

Shelter Responds to RLA Criticism

Shelter Responds to RLA Criticism

their landlord that could have resulted in legal action.”1

Read more about Shelter’s tenant helpline here: /shelter-receives-17000-complaints-about-landlords-in-just-a-year/

Chairman of the Residential Landlords Association (RLA), Alan Ward, wrote to Shelter’s Chief Executive, Campbell Robb, accusing the charity of quoting figures in the releases that do not add up.

The letter says that the RLA “condemns any landlord who engages in such activity and believes that those who are in any way violent or aggressive have no place in the sector.”

However, Ward continues: “Given the serious nature of the issues you raise, it is deeply disappointing that the figures you have produced do not add up.

“As an example, whilst noting in your England-wide press release that over 125,000 tenants have been affected, in your release for the North West, you argue that 100,000 tenants are ‘experiencing an act by their landlord that could have resulted in legal action’, whilst in the Midlands the figure is set at 120,000 tenants.

“Given that in these two regions alone the total number of tenants affected exceeds the 125,000 England-wide figure, I would be grateful if you could indicate where these numbers have come from.

“Have they come from extrapolating them from the much smaller survey sample taken by YouGov?”1

Shelter has now clarified the issue.

A spokesperson says that it is unlikely the charity will issue a public response to the personal letter, but insists that the statistics used in the England-wide press release, regarding harassment, threats and assault, were different from the figures in the regional releases, which relate to incidents that could have resulted in legal action, such as poor electrics.

They add that the letter has not yet been received by Shelter, but a personal response would be sent if and when it did receive it.

1 http://www.propertyindustryeye.com/shelter-hits-back-at-rla-criticisms/

 

Renting from Rogue Landlords is Not a Choice for Many Tenants

Published On: September 8, 2015 at 5:43 pm

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Those that believe there is no housing crisis in Britain typically accept that there are three main tenures available in the UK: renting from a housing association or council, homeownership or renting privately.

These are the people that assume those not locked into homeownership can move around an endless supply of private rental sector properties as they wish.

Renting from Rogue Landlords is Not a Choice for Many Tenants

Renting from Rogue Landlords is Not a Choice for Many Tenants

But judging by recent research from housing charity Shelter, private tenants don’t really have a choice when it comes to renting from rogue landlords. In the last year, 17,000 renters called Shelter’s hotline for advice on landlord harassment. Issues included verbal abuse, threatening behaviour, having utilities cut off and even burning of personal belongings.

These stories are unsurprising, as many people that have rented privately have had difficult relationships with their landlords.

Although the number of landlords harassing tenants is small, it is not insignificant. Renters can often have no choice in who they rent from, as competition for rental property is strong.

Additionally, the relationship is often weighted in the landlord’s favour; just a small disagreement can lead to the landlord evicting the tenant, and with them potentially a family or housemates.

These revenge evictions can strike hard; imagine being told you have just five days to find a new place to live, with the person kicking you out owning the rights to the property and with it, much more capital than you.

Many argue that tenants can leave their home when their contract ends and move around freely, but this freedom is only accessible if you can raise a deposit and afford a similar home in the area. Many renters don’t.

When beds in sheds stories enter the news, homeowners may ask: Why do people choose to live like this? What they may not realise is that renters often don’t have a choice.

Tenants rarely feel equal to their landlord. Renters are fighting for accommodation due to the housing shortage, and while they compete, landlords will take advantage.

It appears that the only solution is to create a healthier relationship between landlords and tenants, and a means of this may be to increase tenants’ rights. If renting is not skewed by threatening landlords, tenants may feel they actually have a choice.

 

 

Letting agency in Leicester fined

Published On: September 7, 2015 at 10:42 am

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With the new academic year upon us, a letting agency has been told to pay in excess of £12,000 in fines and court costs after being found guilty of seven charges of failing to carry out repairs to a student property.

Leicester City magistrates found IPS Ltd guilty of failing to adhere to regulations relating to a property in the Highfields area of the city, which was occupied by seven people.

Charges

The Leicester Mercury says that the firm was fined £750 for each individual charge, in addition to £7,000 costs and a £75 victim surcharge. Over a two-day hearing, IPS Ltd pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Lawyers for the local council argued that IPS was the managing agent for the property and took 10% of the rent accrued per month. In addition, the council said that the firm was responsible for dealing with maintenance and repairs.

Some of the main causes of concern highlighted by the tenants included a damaged fire door, stained, damp and cracked plaster, a faulty lock, broken extractor fan and faults with showers and a broken bedroom door.

Letting agency in Leicester fined

Letting agency in Leicester fined

Involvement

Leicester City Council got involved in February and March of 2014, taking photographs of the problem areas, alongside distributing letters to the company and the owner of the house.

‘The landlord did get the work done, but IPS denied they were in management-they said they were just rent collectors,’ a lawyer acting on behalf of the council told the court.

In addition to being £1,500 for failing to apply for a multiple occupation licence , the landlord was fined £500 for failing to show his contact information in his property.

Two of the tenants residing in the property said when the moved into the house than they were told they should notify IPS (Leicester) Ltd should any repairs or maintenance be required. This claim was denied in court by one of the company’s representatives.

Rogue Landlords Fined Thousands of Pounds

Published On: September 7, 2015 at 10:15 am

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Two landlords have been fined thousands of pounds after renting out sub-standard accommodation.

Rogue Landlords Fined Thousands of Pounds

Rogue Landlords Fined Thousands of Pounds

Naeem Ahmad, of Braunton, Devon, let out a home in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, but the property fell into a state of disrepair.

There were dangerous electric sockets in a child’s bedroom, damp and mould, and doors hanging off hinges. The gas connection to the cooker was also unsafe, there were no locks on the front or back doors and no safety catches on any bedroom windows.

Some of the issues were fixed under emergency remedial action and improvement notices were served to Ahmad to fix the rest.

However, he did not complete any of the work within the timescales.

Ahmad was ordered to pay over £10,000 in fines and costs by Wycombe Magistrates’ Court.

These consisted of a £5,500 fine, costs of £5,000 to the council and a £200 victim surcharge.

In a separate case, a landlord who let out a property without any hot water in Kensal Green, London, to a single parent with a young child, was fined £3,277.

The family was rehoused by Brent Council after Bernard McGowan ignored a notice, ordering him to repair the boiler.