Sadiq Khan calls for a national rogue landlord database

Sadiq Khan calls for a national rogue landlord database

9:32 AM, 23rd November 2022, About A year ago 28

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The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is calling for a national rogue landlord database – after revealing that half a million tenants in the capital have accessed the Rogue Landlord and Agent Checker and Property Licence Checker.

According to the mayor, new figures show the Rogue Landlord and Agent Checker has been used 388,000 times since 2017.

And the Property Licence Checker, launched in November 2020, has been accessed 125,000 times.

The checkers have been viewed 128,000 times in the last year alone as many of London’s renters grapple with soaring rents and – the mayor says – ‘poor standards’.

6,000 Londoners have reported concerns

Mr Khan points out that 6,000 Londoners have now reported concerns about their rental property through the mayor’s ‘Report a Rogue’ tool.

Now he wants the Government to follow his lead and come good on its promise to roll out a National Rogue Landlord Database.

The Rogue Landlord and Agent Checker is a unique database that ‘names and shames’ landlords and lettings agents who have been successfully prosecuted or have faced civil enforcement action for housing offences.

The Property Licence Checker allows Londoners to find out if their rental property is properly licenced with both platforms enabling renters to make informed decisions about who they rent from.

‘Cracking down on rogue landlords’

Mr Khan said: “I’m determined to continue standing up for London’s renters by cracking down on rogue landlords.

“London’s 2.6m private renters deserve a decent home at an affordable price, let from a fair and honest landlord.

“The fact that my online tools to root out unscrupulous behaviour of landlords have been used hundreds of thousands of times is a sad indictment of the state of the London rental sector.”

‘Tools to help avoid dodgy landlords’

He added: “However, I am pleased to see tenants using these tools to help them avoid dodgy landlords and to stand up for themselves when they are being mistreated or misled.”

David Beach, the director of Enforcement at Waltham Forest, said: “The private rented sector is incredibly important in Waltham Forest.

“We work to ensure that the thousands of residents who rent from private landlords are living in homes that are properly maintained and free from significant building hazards.”

‘Mayor’s Rogue Landlord and Agent Checker’

He added: “Our private sector housing and licensing officers make routine use of the mayor’s Rogue Landlord and Agent Checker in their work.

“If we are to continue building a better London for everyone, it’s essential that we continue to stand up for and empower renters.

“We’re doing everything we can in London, but we also need the Government to step up.

“This must include creating the long-promised National Rogue Landlord database, properly funding borough enforcement teams and increasing the fines for landlords who break the rules.”


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Comments

Peter Rees

11:26 AM, 23rd November 2022, About A year ago

Will housing associations be excempted from this database? Bet they are but they're some of the biggest offenders.

Judith Wordsworth

11:52 AM, 23rd November 2022, About A year ago

Wonder if it’s statutory discrimination to only have a landlords rogue database and not have a rogue tenants one as well? Or a breach of HRA not allowing landlords the right to a “private life”?

The Forever Tenant

12:10 PM, 23rd November 2022, About A year ago

I've got no issue with there being a database of both Landlords and Tenants, but only if if they stuck to absolute facts and nothing that was subjective.

So "Tenant stayed for 3 years, 6 months and rent was paid late by 3 days on 1 occasion. £950 of the £1,100 deposit was returned at end of tenancy" would be fine.

But "Tenant left house untidy and had unruly kids causing a disturbance" would not, as that statement is subjective and cannot be quantified.

Helen

12:10 PM, 23rd November 2022, About A year ago

Reply to the comment left by Rerktyne at 23/11/2022 - 10:47
I just don't understand why not paying rent and breaking the tenancy agreement isn't a criminal offence. People can be ordered to pay up or go to prison if they steal from a shop and owe about £1000 (and get a criminal record) but if they owe a landlord £10,000+ they can just get away with it.

DAMIEN RAFFERTY

12:30 PM, 23rd November 2022, About A year ago

Sorry Guys
Your wrong about shoplifters !
My wife works for a large DIY chain and thieves come in with Shopping bags to steal to order.
Very very few are arrested and prosecuted.
Drives all the staff who are on minimum wage wild that some thieving #### can steal valuable items with very little chance of any comeback.
Interesting that Khan states 6,000 renters have complained with 2,600,000 tenants in London.
So 1 in 433 renters have been on the website !
Does not say 6,000 landlords prosecuted for doing anything wrong.

Sam B

12:38 PM, 23rd November 2022, About A year ago

I suspect though don't know judging by the noticeable articles about rogue tenants times will get harder for them as well.

Mr.A

13:14 PM, 23rd November 2022, About A year ago

If its good for one side its also good for the other and ultimately will be a better system.
Let's have a Bad landlord database and a Bad tenant database as well. We can not have one without the other, although bad landlords and bad tenants should be prosecuted and fined and put on these registers.
We should be able to evict bad tenants within a month ,non payment of Rent is theft.

Markella Mikkelsen

16:07 PM, 23rd November 2022, About A year ago

When I applied for a Selective License for one of my properties with Oldham council, the council worker said that the council was planning to start a database of rogue landlords. I asked whether there would naturally also be a database for rogue tenants. At which point the council worker looked completely horrified :"Oh, no that would be very unfair on the tenants".
Fortunately, the council workers at the Selective Licensing office had such a fast turnover that no-one stayed long enough to put the plan into fruition.

Denise G

17:35 PM, 23rd November 2022, About A year ago

Reply to the comment left by Ray Guselli at 23/11/2022 - 09:52
exactly what I thought!

Chris @ Possession Friend

18:32 PM, 23rd November 2022, About A year ago

Reply to the comment left by Ray Guselli at 23/11/2022 - 09:52
Khan and the rest of Labour do not believe any such thing as Rogue tenants exist !

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