London’s rogue landlords fined a record £8.6 million by local councils in first three months of this year

A new report has revealed the worst offenders, including one landlord who illegally rented out a “squalid” apartment hidden in his extension
The worst offenders were fined a record £8.6m in the first three months of 2023
Matt Writtle
Ruth Bloomfield18 April 2023

London’s rogue landlords have been fined a record £8.6 million over the past three months, according to a new report.

As landlord licensing schemes spread across London local councils are increasingly taking action against those who persist in renting cold, dirty, damp, and unsafe properties to desperate tenants.

Other fines have been issued by the Property Ombudsman against letting and estate agents, according to property technology company Kamma which carried out the research.

In one of the most recent cases a landlord illegally rented a “squalid and dirty” apartment, hidden within the side extension of a home in Isleworth. Last month Shashibhushan Vyas was fined £115,000 for the illegal conversion, after his side hustle was discovered by Hounslow Council officers after a neighbour reported him.

Meanwhile, a landlord in Barking has been ordered to pay fines and costs totalling more than £8,000 for renting rooms in a damp shared house with no fire doors, exposed electrical wiring, and plagued with rats and cockroaches. Kalpesh Kapasiwala, of Chigwell, was prosecuted in March after failing to respond to requests to upgrade the house from Barking & Dagenham Council.

And in Brent a landlord was fined £165,000 in March for squeezing 18 people — including seven children — into a single house.

“It’s welcome that local authorities are getting more proactive but it’s a drop in the ocean compared to the scale of the problem,” said Anya Martin, director of PricedOut, which campaigns for affordable housing.

“London’s rental market is a wild west and lawbreaking is routine. Tenants are fearful of reporting because without protection from eviction, any complaints can quickly end up in you losing your home. Many decide it is safer just to tolerate bad behaviour.”

The solution to the problem, said Martin, is to build more homes and increase supply of rental homes so landlords can no longer abuse their position.

A spokesperson for the National Residential Landlords Association also welcomed the news — but said more could be done. “Our research shows that most councils across London are not making best use of the wide range of powers they already have.

“At present too few local authorities have the funds, or the staff, to take robust action against those landlords who should have no place in the rental market.”

Action

To report a rogue landlord you can complain to your local council, or enlist the support of the GLA here.

Private letting and managing agents must be members of a government-approved redress scheme: The Property Ombudsman or The Property Redress Scheme.

To complain about the conduct of one of its members contact The Property Ombudsman or contact the Property Redress Scheme here.

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