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Labour council moves against “shoddy landlords”

A Labour council in London has announced plans to expand its crackdown on what it calls “shoddy landlords.”

Southwark council says the majority of landlords in the borough are - in its words - “compliant and law abiding” but it says some neglect their businesses. 

“Most of these people have good intentions, but lack essential knowledge of their full responsibilities. However, some are wilfully neglectful and criminal rouge landlords. The council is working to tackle both groups” says the authority in a statement released over the weekend.

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Southwark’s private rented sector makes up about a third of all housing in the borough - yet it was under nine per cent in the 2011 census results.

The council admits its existing mandatory licensing scheme places a legal responsibility on landlords who must apply for a license and comply with conditions that help to tackle issues such as overcrowding, disrepair and fire safety.

However, it wants a further borough-wide additional licensing scheme will soon extend this scheme, starting in March 2022 and applying to all HMOs in the borough with three or more tenants. 

In addition to this, landlords who rent properties other than HMOs, in parts of the borough, will need to apply for a license under a new selective licensing scheme beginning on March 1. 

The council statement goes on to say it is “working to recognise and reward professional, responsible landlords and it hopes to support and educate inexperienced, reluctant or accidental landlords.” 

A council spokesman says: “Our previous licensing schemes have made significant progress in improving the private rented sector in Southwark. We hope that these new proposals will build on this success and deliver large-scale improvements that are needed in the borough’s private rented sector.

“We also hope to continue to build on our partnership work with good landlords. We want to support those landlords who want to manage their homes more effectively and enable more targeted and effective action against rogue landlords.”

Want to comment on this story? If so...if any post is considered to victimise, harass, degrade or intimidate an individual or group of individuals on any basis, then the post may be deleted and the individual immediately banned from posting in future.

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    Southwark Council needs to get its own act right first by reviewing the conditions its council tenants are living in.

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    Councils in general need to be looking at their own rental properties, here in Norwich they have not been carrying out gas and electric testing, we would find ourselves in court, but not Norwich City Council

     
    Theodor Cable

    Ant pray, why would they do that?
    What they will do though is they will make up more stupid plans and ways to screw LLs.....

     
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    • 06 December 2021 07:32 AM

    Maybe these lazy incompetent council morons should focus on helping landlords more rather than harassing and imposing more cost on hardworking people.

    Theodor Cable

    Kilo - Dream on......

     
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    Lewisham next up. Consultation on line now.

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    Do they make mention of the certainty that rents will rise?
    Probably not .... it's a bit of an inconvenient truth

     
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    @Grumpy Doug

    They don't care that rents will rise. Not one iota.

     
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    Reward landlords ? How ? No mention of how previous properties were improved, and if they have why do more? Sounds like landlord bashing !

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