London’s Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan has launched a new tool for tenants to check on their landlords - and possibly claim refunds through rent repayment orders.
The Property Licensing Checker sets out whether properties in certain locations require licences - but it doesn’t actually tell the tenant if the landlord concerned has the licence required.
The PropTech tool responds to entries giving the postcode, address, and confirmation that the property is privately rented.
Users also have to give some idea of household size to trigger information about whether the property requires HMO licensing.
The tool will then lead users to local council websites and provides information on how to check whether the property has the appropriate licence - but that is left to the user to complete the different requirements in different areas.
If the user believes their property is not licensed, they have an online form to report the landlord to the local authority in question.
The checker points out that those tenants living in illegally unlicensed properties may be entitled to a Rent Repayment Order; the process for applying for this, too, varies between borough councils.
“With nearly a fifth of London’s private rented accommodation not meeting basic standards, it is vital that every privately rented property is licensed so landlords can be held to account for the conditions their tenants live in” says Khan.
He adds that the new tool will help “to redress the imbalance of power that currently exists in the London private rented sector.”
The tool can be found on the Mayor of London's website.
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More red tape , just what we need now
Differing ways of looking at this, firstly there are certain areas of London that have some very poor rented properties and often illegal, checking up in this manor with the carrot of large rent rebates to the tenant seems to be the wrong way of going about it, if one of these tenants drop their landlord in the s*** , the council comes along and places a closing order on the property all the tenants will be homeless, I very much doubt these tenants will be able to find a good landlord with good properties to take them on. might be a case of '' horses for courses'' ?
The words 'Labour Mayor' are the first two words in the heading of the article. The same two words "Labour Mayor' start the article itself. What are you trying to say? I did not know that that 'Landlord Today' was a Conservative publication. An elected mayor works for all the citizens in his/her area, whichever way they voted. We're not even in an election campaign right now. Please refer to Sadiq Khan as the Mayor please, not the Labour Mayor. (Does Landlord Today contribute to the Conservative Party?) Please stop politicising and keep to the facts.
Do you contribute to labour by any chance David, just asking.
Not at all. I did not even vote Labour in the last election. I just don't want Landlord Today to take a political stance - for any Party. It should just deal with each issue on its own merits and leave politics out of it. That's all. (I'll decide which Party to support at the next election when I see their manifestos and who the party leaders are.)
I’m sick of hearing about the passive aggressive LABOUR mayor Sadiq Khan hope he goes soon (but doubt it ashamed to say that some of my relatives have campaigned for him)
Licensing has proven to me to produce nothing! Absolutely nothing but a cost that is passed on to the tenant. It just creates jobs for the people that can’t get employed in the private sector. It’s never argued that the properties fall into this condition because some tenants will not ventilate or look after the property. All these things that need to be put right costs money hence why the rents go up. If tenants were held to be more accountable then licencing wont be needed
You mention ventilation, I have a house in Norwich which over the years I have had many tenants complain about damp, I tell them to heat and ventilate it, but of course they don't, the present tenant, been there 4 - 5 yrs now, he's as rough as old boots, I know he sub lets, but he always pays and no damp issues since he's been there, why? because when ever I drive past in day time, whether summer or winter the upstairs bedroom windows are open, 99 times out of 100 damp issues are down to the person living there.
Jahan, could you leave politics out of this debate please? Just stick to the merits of each issue as it arises? It would enhance proper discussion and debate.
I’ll do what I want David thank you and don’t even attempt to control what I post. This isn’t the first time that you’ve tried to tell me what to write. I shall say what I think and believe. Right now it’s still a free country that I pay massive taxes into. Looking at your comment below maybe you should take your own advice
Technically he should not even be Mayor. He got another year in power because of the virus.
And that is just not right. He is there by default and not by democratic choice.
Therefore he is there illegally.....
How's that now? What was the alternative? Holding the elections during the peak of the virus? That would have been madness.
Either way, with the polls as they were, he was getting back in whatever happened. Whether you like it or not, Sadiq Khan would have got back in as mayor by a landslide, with Bailey and Stewart splitting the Tory vote and the Lib Dem candidate not strong enough to take any Labour voters.
London is a Labour and Remain stronghold, so it stands to reason that a Brexit-friendly Tory MP wouldn't have a chance there (as is the case with Bailey).
The year delay is just delaying the inevitable. And I imagine he will only get a three-year term rather than a four-year term, so there won't be any difference.
You seem to be the only one making this point, David. Not even his political opponents object to him continuing in office for the time being because of the current national emergency. We cannot have people meeting, knocking on doors, delivering leaflets, attending hustings, etc. etc. etc. when people are advised to stay at home. I'm sure mayoral elections will happen as soon as the crisis allows it. It would also detract from what the main news story should be - the pandemic and how to deal with it. Just park this one for the time being .......... The democratic choice made by the citizens is just extended..........
he got the extra year because the incompetent boris allowed him to
Postal voting could have been implemented - working well in the USA!
Who says he would have got back in? There is no way it is a given
Polls cannot be trusted....Witness last December!
There are other ways of voting - Postal and or Electronically - And it was only London. so nowhere as complicated as a national vote.
And the situation for all parties would have been equal.
It is a truism that he is in the seat by undemocratic means. FULL STOP - HE WAS NOT VOTED IN.
Andrew you sound like a lovely person.
Funnily John my tenants all think so, we all get along just fine, including the guy I termed '' as rough as old boots'' he would likely agree with me, call a spade a spade, there's nothing wrong in that.
Boris had done 2 years as Mayor, so therefore he could not run again......!!!!!
Do you want me find out andrew?
John, just P off there's a good boy.
More corruption & collusion to destroy Private LL's so much injustice they are doing their best to drive the wedge between LL & Tenant further-in. I thing I should become a Tenant you already need to be 9 months in arrears before March before any action can be taken then probably another 9 to be out out or longer, so now for good measure I can have another 12 months free rent if the LL don't have the proper license which is so easy not to have, it took me several attempts to apply for the right one and even confused the Council staff, a house had to be mandatory HM0 more than 5 persons even though only 2 story, 2 other Flats in my legal conversion of 2 story house all passed according to 1991 building regulations still had to be licensed one with Additional and the other with Selective license. I can have all this free rent as a Tenant for another 12 months with the backing of the Mayor, then I can easily find something wrong with the Deposit protection, like several even the "How to Rent" if he didn't give me the latest one that no one knows about has changed already 9 times in 5 years, so I can have my Deposit back + 3 more Deposits that I didn't pay isn't it wonderful.
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