London needs to side with renters and hold landlords to account

Rogue landlords are being protected

Databases that name and shame rogue landlords have been promised in response to recent scandals with appalling homes, but data from London shows that they aren’t going to help if more than 95 per cent of the data is hidden from renters. As a private renter in London, I long for my own housing security but together with so many others, that seems to be just getting further out of reach.

Last month, the coroner’s verdict that exposure to mould in Awaab Ishak’s housing association flat was his cause of death led Michael Gove-the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities – to state he would “crack down” on mould infested homes. Promises included a register of rogue landlords so that private renters can check if their landlord meets a basic standard before choosing to live in their property.

This register was promised by Gove at the start of 2022, as reported by Generation Rent, but it has not yet appeared.

The imbalance of power has never been so stark. A safe home is a human right. We must take the side of renters and hold landlords to account to improve and protect the lives of tenants.

Read the full article here

https://leftfootforward.org/2022/12/london-needs-to-side-with-renters-and-hold-landlords-to-account/

Image credit: Ilya Grigorik – Creative Commons