Residents react as Mayor Khan wages war against ‘bad’ landlords
London residents have reacted to Mayor Sadiq Khan’s declaration of war against some landlords in the city.
The reactions followed Khan’s announcement that he was going to deal with landlords profiteering from shoddy London homes.
The mayor of London slammed thousands of private landlords who are pocketing the rent and housing benefits from tenants living in housing riddled with mould and damp, branding it “a scandal”.
Khan’s announcement followed a response to New City Hall analysis which shows that across the country, landlords are collecting £9bn a year in rent for ‘non-decent’ privately rented homes, with £1.6bn of this coming from housing benefit.
He maintained that ‘non-decent’ is an official government designation for homes that pose a risk to residents’ health or life, are in a bad state of repair, are cold or lack modern facilities.
According to a report, the capital London has the highest rent spend, with landlords raking in £3.5bn in rent, £500m of which comes from housing benefit, every year from around 180,000 privately rented substandard homes.
Sadiq Khan is, therefore, calling on the government to give him the power to freeze rents during the cost of living crisis to “stop bad landlords profiteering from poor homes and to drive up private renting standards in the capital”.
“If we are to continue building a better London for everyone, we need the government to step up to empower our city’s renters,” Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, said.
He added, “Ministers must urgently introduce the long-promised Renters Reform legislation, properly fund borough private rented sector enforcement teams, and increase the fines for landlords who break the rules.”
While reacting, a London resident, Dan Shernnan, said, “Yet another smokescreen. The mayor clearly does not have the
legal grounds to proceed with his Ulez tax plans, which take money from charities, small businesses, and low-income Londoners who cannot afford a new car.”
Another resident, Peter West, reacted, “I think it’s outrageous that on top of ulez you are now going to stop daily travel card. You’re just a thief.”
Also reacting, Andrew Cowman stated, “You allowed Labour Croydon use £250m for a property company and go bankrupt! Unable to address the squalor families and people with disabilities live in. Same in Hackney, Brent, Tower Hamlets & Lambeth! You have wasted Govt funding on new builds. A housing record that is
atrocious and not near to targets. A post that deflects from your terrible record and more lies!”
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