New database out to protect tenants from landlords, agents

Unlike Nigeria where landlords and estate agents are kings operating without let or hindrance, it is end of the road for landlords and letting agents who exploit their tenants in London as they will be named and shamed on a new online database that will be published on the city Mayor’s website.

In Nigeria, tenants are at the whims and caprices of their landlords and at the same time preys in the hands of estate agents who, in many instances, have exploited prospective tenants to the point of denying them opportunity of getting the homes they have paid for.

The planned new database in London will be built in partnership with London Boroughs and cite criminal landlords and letting agents who have been successfully prosecuted for housing offences.

The Mayor Sadiq Khan said that he believes it will give Londoners greater confidence in renting in the capital, allowing them to check a prospective landlord or letting agent before moving into a property, and acting as a deterrent to the minority of landlords and agents who behave dishonestly.

“I refuse to stand by as thousands of Londoners suffer sky high rents and horrendous living conditions in a city they call home. I have seen first-hand the abysmal conditions that some of London’s private renters are forced to endure as a result of rogue landlords”,  said Khan.

“I want to be clear that the vast majority of landlords treat renters well but a minority are exploiting their tenants and it’s simply unacceptable. This must stop now. To help renters, I will be working in partnership with London Boroughs to launch my new name and shame database of criminal landlords and letting agents to help Londoners before they rent a property, and to deter dishonest landlords and agents from operating”,  he explained.

Continuing, he assured, “I fully support the excellent work councils like Newham are doing to target the worst offenders in their borough. I will continue to support them and other boroughs that use licensing schemes effectively to drive up standards in the private rented sector”.

Due to launch in the autumn, the database will enable councils across London to easily share information on landlords’ criminal history and provide details of enforcement activity and investigations. Also, Londoners will be able to search the online database and report suspected criminal landlords or letting agents through London.gov.uk.

The ‘name and shame’ database will be developed in the coming months with information from Newham, Brent, Camden, Southwark, Kingston and Sutton initially and other boroughs across London set to join following its public launch in the autumn.

The Mayor made the announcement as he joined a criminal landlord enforcement raid in Newham, carried out under the council’s borough wide licensing scheme for private rented properties. In 2013, Newham Council was the first local authority to be granted borough wide licensing.

Newham has been very successful in tackling criminal landlords, prosecuting 1,100 criminal landlords, more than any other local authority in London, and banning 28 of the very worst from operating. The council’s five year licensing scheme is due to expire in December, and Khan has written to the Government to support its renewal.

Alongside the Mayor’s efforts to improve conditions in the private rented sector, he also announced plans for new Homes for Londoners property portal on City Hall’s website, which aims to bring together in one place affordable homes to buy and rent in the capital.