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| Rats, roaches and overcrowding: the battle against slum landlords | Rats, roaches and overcrowding: the battle against slum landlords |
| (4 months later) | |
| Tom Wall | |
| Sat 30 Sep 2017 20.40 BST | |
| Last modified on Sat 2 Dec 2017 02.40 GMT | |
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| Mohammad Ayaz’s sunken, red-ringed eyes tell a desperate story of night shifts, low pay and poor housing. He hovers nervously outside the room he shares with his wife as police and housing officers check how many others are living in the small terraced house in east London. | Mohammad Ayaz’s sunken, red-ringed eyes tell a desperate story of night shifts, low pay and poor housing. He hovers nervously outside the room he shares with his wife as police and housing officers check how many others are living in the small terraced house in east London. |
| “You’ve done nothing wrong,” says Paul Oatt, a housing officer with Newham council. “Landlords who rent a house here have to have a licence, like you have to have a driving licence.” | “You’ve done nothing wrong,” says Paul Oatt, a housing officer with Newham council. “Landlords who rent a house here have to have a licence, like you have to have a driving licence.” |
| Ayaz earns £8 an hour working at a takeaway pizza shop. “We pay £100 a week for our room,” he says timidly. “I didn’t think London would be like this.” | Ayaz earns £8 an hour working at a takeaway pizza shop. “We pay £100 a week for our room,” he says timidly. “I didn’t think London would be like this.” |
| It soon becomes clear why he has not followed the officers into the kitchen when a rat the size of a pint glass bursts from a pile of boxes and darts into a food cupboard. “We buy takeaways – we can’t cook in there,” Ayaz says, fiddling with his branded work shirt. | It soon becomes clear why he has not followed the officers into the kitchen when a rat the size of a pint glass bursts from a pile of boxes and darts into a food cupboard. “We buy takeaways – we can’t cook in there,” Ayaz says, fiddling with his branded work shirt. |
| This rodent-infested, overcrowded house in deprived Little Ilford on Newham’s eastern border earns Ayaz’s landlord between £1,500 and £2,500 a month. This is the frontline in the council’s street-by-street skirmishes with slum landlords. And it is a war that Newham’s housing officers are starting to win, although they accept there is still much to do. | This rodent-infested, overcrowded house in deprived Little Ilford on Newham’s eastern border earns Ayaz’s landlord between £1,500 and £2,500 a month. This is the frontline in the council’s street-by-street skirmishes with slum landlords. And it is a war that Newham’s housing officers are starting to win, although they accept there is still much to do. |
| “Licensing leads us to these properties and then we are able to put in the safeguards necessary to protect people – like an automatic fire detection system, fire doors on key rooms, emergency lighting,” says Russell Moffatt, a veteran housing officer now in charge of co-ordinating inspections in the borough. | “Licensing leads us to these properties and then we are able to put in the safeguards necessary to protect people – like an automatic fire detection system, fire doors on key rooms, emergency lighting,” says Russell Moffatt, a veteran housing officer now in charge of co-ordinating inspections in the borough. |
| Since this Labour stronghold became the first council to license all landlords in 2013, it has carried out thousands of raids on unlicensed properties and launched 1,217 prosecutions for housing crimes. These account for 70% of all housing prosecutions in London. | Since this Labour stronghold became the first council to license all landlords in 2013, it has carried out thousands of raids on unlicensed properties and launched 1,217 prosecutions for housing crimes. These account for 70% of all housing prosecutions in London. |
| Newham, which has seen its rental sector balloon from 23% to 46% of the borough’s housing stock since 2006, has also in effect banned 28 of the worst landlords by refusing them licences and recovered more than £3m in council tax. | Newham, which has seen its rental sector balloon from 23% to 46% of the borough’s housing stock since 2006, has also in effect banned 28 of the worst landlords by refusing them licences and recovered more than £3m in council tax. |
| But the scheme’s future is hanging in the balance. Under new rules brought in by the government two years ago, landlord-licensing schemes covering more than 20% of a council’s total area have to be signed off by central government. Sajid Javid, the communities secretary, has been sitting on Newham’s renewal application since July. His verdict was supposed to come through three weeks ago but the council is still waiting. | But the scheme’s future is hanging in the balance. Under new rules brought in by the government two years ago, landlord-licensing schemes covering more than 20% of a council’s total area have to be signed off by central government. Sajid Javid, the communities secretary, has been sitting on Newham’s renewal application since July. His verdict was supposed to come through three weeks ago but the council is still waiting. |
| Back in Ayaz’s home, it soon becomes clear that problems upstairs are potentially more serious. In a shabby attic room, which has such a low ceiling you have to stoop to get in, two more men are sleeping on mattresses on the floor. They both work night shifts in central London. | Back in Ayaz’s home, it soon becomes clear that problems upstairs are potentially more serious. In a shabby attic room, which has such a low ceiling you have to stoop to get in, two more men are sleeping on mattresses on the floor. They both work night shifts in central London. |
| “There are no working smoke detectors and no fire doors,” says Moffatt. “This is a serious fire hazard. They are totally dependent on someone waking them up, but they don’t know the others.” | “There are no working smoke detectors and no fire doors,” says Moffatt. “This is a serious fire hazard. They are totally dependent on someone waking them up, but they don’t know the others.” |
| The single bathroom, which is shared by at least eight tenants, is damp and mouldy. “It’s also about the grinding misery of the place,” says Moffatt, gesturing at the broken tiles and green mould on the wall. | The single bathroom, which is shared by at least eight tenants, is damp and mouldy. “It’s also about the grinding misery of the place,” says Moffatt, gesturing at the broken tiles and green mould on the wall. |
| A short drive away stands yet another overcrowded Victorian terrace. The landlord, who is collecting about £2,500 a month, has told the council it is being rented to a single family, but once the officers get inside they find at least 12 people, including a child, living in a warren of locked rooms. The back room has no windows and the lean-to has been converted into two tiny cell-like spaces with barely enough room in each for a single bed. | A short drive away stands yet another overcrowded Victorian terrace. The landlord, who is collecting about £2,500 a month, has told the council it is being rented to a single family, but once the officers get inside they find at least 12 people, including a child, living in a warren of locked rooms. The back room has no windows and the lean-to has been converted into two tiny cell-like spaces with barely enough room in each for a single bed. |
| Patrick Pinto, a head chef who lives with his wife in the front bedroom, has to fold up their bed to make room for his three-year-old son to play. “We’ve been living here over a year,” he says, pointing to cockroaches on the walls. “I think the landlord knows about them.” | Patrick Pinto, a head chef who lives with his wife in the front bedroom, has to fold up their bed to make room for his three-year-old son to play. “We’ve been living here over a year,” he says, pointing to cockroaches on the walls. “I think the landlord knows about them.” |
| Again the attic has been turned into a makeshift bedroom. Again there are no fire doors or functioning smoke detectors. The man living there, Raman Bharbway, an assistant manager, worries about escaping if there is a fire. | Again the attic has been turned into a makeshift bedroom. Again there are no fire doors or functioning smoke detectors. The man living there, Raman Bharbway, an assistant manager, worries about escaping if there is a fire. |
| “I was thinking, ‘if anything happens, what I should do?’ Where I work I saw one 30-metre rope and I thought, ‘OK, I need to buy it’,” he says, chillingly. | “I was thinking, ‘if anything happens, what I should do?’ Where I work I saw one 30-metre rope and I thought, ‘OK, I need to buy it’,” he says, chillingly. |
| This is not idle speculation. There are outbreaks of fire in rented homes in Newham every couple of weeks, most of them in the borough’s 10,000 bedsits. | This is not idle speculation. There are outbreaks of fire in rented homes in Newham every couple of weeks, most of them in the borough’s 10,000 bedsits. |
| “We quite often see fires in houses in multiple occupation but so far all of the people have got out safely,” says Moffatt. “But you only need one instance where people don’t get out and you’ll get very high numbers of fatalities.” | “We quite often see fires in houses in multiple occupation but so far all of the people have got out safely,” says Moffatt. “But you only need one instance where people don’t get out and you’ll get very high numbers of fatalities.” |
| Sir Robin Wales, Newham’s Labour mayor, is fearful that the borough’s landlord licensing scheme may be blocked. “We are worried. We don’t understand why the government is dragging its heels,” he says. | Sir Robin Wales, Newham’s Labour mayor, is fearful that the borough’s landlord licensing scheme may be blocked. “We are worried. We don’t understand why the government is dragging its heels,” he says. |
| Newham has good reason to worry. In 2015, the government turned down neighbouring Redbridge’s borough-wide licensing scheme and wrote to town halls warning that the “blanket licensing approach” creates “unnecessary costs for reputable landlords”, which are generally passed on to tenants in higher rents. | Newham has good reason to worry. In 2015, the government turned down neighbouring Redbridge’s borough-wide licensing scheme and wrote to town halls warning that the “blanket licensing approach” creates “unnecessary costs for reputable landlords”, which are generally passed on to tenants in higher rents. |
| Wales “absolutely disputes” the government’s logic, claiming the £150 cost of a five-year licence is “just coppers” because Newham landlords are making around £1,500 to £2,500 a month. He warns that slum landlords will be celebrating if the scheme is not renewed in January. “If we don’t get it then, the bad landlords will come back and people will live in disgusting and disgraceful conditions,” he says. | Wales “absolutely disputes” the government’s logic, claiming the £150 cost of a five-year licence is “just coppers” because Newham landlords are making around £1,500 to £2,500 a month. He warns that slum landlords will be celebrating if the scheme is not renewed in January. “If we don’t get it then, the bad landlords will come back and people will live in disgusting and disgraceful conditions,” he says. |
| Newham’s bid to renew its scheme takes place against a backdrop of a deepening national housing crisis, with a chronic shortage of affordable homes and falling real wages pushing more people into the private rented sector. | Newham’s bid to renew its scheme takes place against a backdrop of a deepening national housing crisis, with a chronic shortage of affordable homes and falling real wages pushing more people into the private rented sector. |
| Earlier this month, Brent housing officers found 35 men living in a three-bedroom house. Every room was piled with bedding except the bathrooms, with one mattress even laid out under a canopy in the back garden. | Earlier this month, Brent housing officers found 35 men living in a three-bedroom house. Every room was piled with bedding except the bathrooms, with one mattress even laid out under a canopy in the back garden. |
| There are 4.5m households renting in the private sector, including an increasing proportion of young people and families with children. This represents 20% of all households in England – double what it was in 1980s and 1990s. Yet 30% of privately rented homes are classed as “non-decent”, a far worse figure than for owner-occupied homes and social housing. | There are 4.5m households renting in the private sector, including an increasing proportion of young people and families with children. This represents 20% of all households in England – double what it was in 1980s and 1990s. Yet 30% of privately rented homes are classed as “non-decent”, a far worse figure than for owner-occupied homes and social housing. |
| Housing was at the top of the agenda at the Labour party conference in Brighton last week. Jeremy Corbyn said in his closing speech that thousands of people “are living in homes unfit for human habitation” and promised a review of social housing policy. He also promised that a Labour government would introduce rent controls: “Rent controls exist in many cities across the world. And I want our cities to have those powers too and tenants to have those protections.” | Housing was at the top of the agenda at the Labour party conference in Brighton last week. Jeremy Corbyn said in his closing speech that thousands of people “are living in homes unfit for human habitation” and promised a review of social housing policy. He also promised that a Labour government would introduce rent controls: “Rent controls exist in many cities across the world. And I want our cities to have those powers too and tenants to have those protections.” |
| Javid’s decision on licensing will have implications beyond Newham. The handful of other Labour councils with city-wide licensing schemes – such as Liverpool, Waltham Forest, Barking and Dagenham, and Croydon – also face renewal battles. If Newham fails, they fear they will struggle to get approval. | Javid’s decision on licensing will have implications beyond Newham. The handful of other Labour councils with city-wide licensing schemes – such as Liverpool, Waltham Forest, Barking and Dagenham, and Croydon – also face renewal battles. If Newham fails, they fear they will struggle to get approval. |
| Javid’s communities department says it has requested further information from Newham. “Local authorities can introduce selective licensing of private landlords to target serious local problems,” said a spokesman. “The London borough of Newham has submitted its proposal for a licensing scheme for all private landlords in the borough and we are still considering this. We hope to make a decision shortly.” | Javid’s communities department says it has requested further information from Newham. “Local authorities can introduce selective licensing of private landlords to target serious local problems,” said a spokesman. “The London borough of Newham has submitted its proposal for a licensing scheme for all private landlords in the borough and we are still considering this. We hope to make a decision shortly.” |
| RISE OF THE RENTAL SECTOR | RISE OF THE RENTAL SECTOR |
| Across England, 64% of households own the home in which they live, while 18% of homes are privately rented and 17% are social housing. In London, a smaller proportion of households own their home – only 50% are owner-occupied. | Across England, 64% of households own the home in which they live, while 18% of homes are privately rented and 17% are social housing. In London, a smaller proportion of households own their home – only 50% are owner-occupied. |
| The number of households privately renting in England increased by 121% between 1996 and 2016. | The number of households privately renting in England increased by 121% between 1996 and 2016. |
| In 2016, almost half (46%) of 16 to 34-year-old households were privately renting, up from 21% in 1996. | In 2016, almost half (46%) of 16 to 34-year-old households were privately renting, up from 21% in 1996. |
| Last year, the median monthly rent in England was £650. London had the highest median monthly rent, at £1,452, and the north-east had the lowest median monthly rent, at £475. | Last year, the median monthly rent in England was £650. London had the highest median monthly rent, at £1,452, and the north-east had the lowest median monthly rent, at £475. |
| Source: House of Commons library briefing paper | Source: House of Commons library briefing paper |
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