Mayor of Barnet accused of “acting illegally” towards tenants

The Mayor of Barnet has been accused of 'acting illegally' towards his tenants and has been named and shamed in both a local paper and a widely-read legal blog.

Councillor Hugh Rayner became the Tory Mayor of Barnet on 2 June. He owns 15 properties in Colindale with his wife, Susan, and four more are listed under his firm’s name – S&H Housing Limited.

Earlier this month Barnet Greater London Assembly member Andrew Dismore raised concerns about the “unfair” way Cllr Rayner treats his tenants, who all receive housing benefit.

Dismore said Cllr Rayner drafted 12-month contracts which permitted rent increases by any amount and at any time during the year. He claims that in one case, one tenant was slapped with a 3% rent hike without notice.

The GLA also heard how Cllr Rayner, who represents residents in Hale, visited a tenant unannounced at 10pm asking for the new tenancy agreement to be signed – even though his contract says adequate notice must be given.

Rayner has also been accused of partitioning a living room to create an extra bedroom in one property and not having documents witnessed correctly.

The story was picked up by solicitor Giles Peaker who writes the Nearly Legal blog.

He wrote:
“So, we have the dodgy but widespread ‘sub division’ of properties to create an extra bedroom, regardless of habitability. We have attempt to pressure a signature on a new tenancy without time for it to be read. We have, at the least, breach of quiet enjoyment in turning up without notice, let alone late in the evening. We have ‘pre-signed’ witnesses – not that a witness is actually required to a 12 month AST at all, but if you are going to sign as a witness, you have to, well, witness the thing you are signing as a witness to.

“And then we have to attempt to squeeze still more out of public funds via DHP. Some of these are breaches of tenancy agreement, some might possibly amount to harassment, some are simply distastefully exploitative. And suborning a fake witness signature, thus forging a witnessed document? Hmmm.”