A rogue landlord in Wembley, northwest London faces prosecution for renting out an overcrowded property in the area.
Rogue Landlord in London Faces Prosecution for Overcrowded Property
Raids by Brent Council found 11 people living in the three-bedroom house, after the council committed to increasing efforts to ensure landlords with unlicensed properties are held accountable for their actions.
Enforcement teams entered the mid-terrace house to find 11 people packed inside. The property was also in a general state of disrepair, says the council, with the landlord looking to face prosecution.
Brent Council’s heightened enforcement activity in recent months has lead to up to five prosecutions per week since the start of the year.
In January, it was announced that the council would be one of 48 local authorities to receive a portion of £5m funding from the Department for Communities and Local Government to tackle rogue landlords.
Earlier this year, a raid on rogue landlords in Wembley found 23 people, including ten children, living in a semi-detached house. The council also raided a shed in the back of a second property, where it found evidence that it may have been illegally rented out as private accommodation.
The Cabinet Member for Housing at Brent Council, Councillor Margaret McLennan, comments: “These types of raids demonstrate the importance of our landlord licensing scheme. It ensures that properties are not overcrowded, are let out to an acceptable standard and are properly managed.
“It also reduces anti-social behaviour and illegally dumped rubbish, which can have a significant impact on local neighbourhoods and property prices. Everyone in the borough benefits from licensing.”1
This news arrives as Derby City Council announces plans for a new scheme to tackle rogue landlords. More about how the system would work and what it will do for the private rental sector in the city can be found here: /derby-proposes-new-measures-tackle-rogue-landlords/
1 https://www.brent.gov.uk/council-news/april-2016/wake-up-call-for-rogue-landlords/