Lambeth Council ‘Private Renters Charter’

Just to let you know, Lambeth Council are seeking views from tenants in the PRS in the borough. I’ve pasted an excerpt below and the story can be found if you click here

I’m curious to know what additional support and advice the council are contemplating, or is it a route to further regulation via the back door?

“London is in the grip of a severe housing crisis, and Lambeth is no exception. With home ownership out of reach for most people and the council’s ability to build new social housing severely constrained by a lack of government support, it is therefore unsurprising that more people rent privately in Lambeth than are homeowners or council tenants. Those renters often may feel like they are left to fend for themselves against a minority of poor landlords, and accept expensive, unsafe and insecure privately rented housing with no recourse to improve their living conditions.”

And despite having a strong track record of clamping down on rogue landlords and those who put tenants at risk with dangerous overcrowding or substandard accommodation, as well as having a compulsory licensing scheme for HMOs, it is clear that more support and advice is needed for private renters in Lambeth.

Therefore the council is carrying out research to find out more about the experiences of private renters in the borough and what they would like or expect to see from their council to help improve their living conditions.

The results of this research will then help the council to draw up a private renters’ charter, which will set out renters’ rights, give advice, support and guidance, as well as detail the council’s powers to intervene and will be published later this year.”

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