Activists in a rental union have demanded that rogue landlord MP Jaz Athwal must resign following revelations about the conditions of his rental properties.
But other activists – closer to the Labour Party – have not made such a request.
The London Renters Union claims to represent over 7,000 renters and in a letter to Redbridge Council – where Athwal was leader, until recently – it makes it clear he should go.
An LRU spokesperson says: “Athwal left his tenants facing toxic mould and dangerous disrepair and has broken laws on licensing, which is a key part of the tenant safety system. Athwal has also admitted to refusing to let out properties to renters who receive housing benefit, a practise that prevents many low-income people from accessing adequate housing and that has been ruled illegal by a court
“Athwal is trying to blame his estate agent but landlords who use an estate agent still have to follow the law. Tenants told the BBC that Mr Athwal himself was unresponsive to their complaints. Anyone who discriminates against people who receive benefits and puts their tenants at such risk by ignoring housing safety laws is clearly not fit to be an MP. Athwal must resign. For as long as Athwal remains an MP, many renters won’t trust parliament to fix the housing crisis.
“As some of our members know only too well, when landlords ignore the law, tenants face serious injury and illness. The consequences can be deadly. 650,000 private rented homes across England are unsafe because landlords like Athwal fail to follow basic housing health and safety laws.
“As a regulator of housing in the borough, Redbridge council have a responsibility to act. We hope that the council will take this matter seriously.”
Athwal’s tenants claim he was slow to deal with complaints concerning mould and disrepair.
According to a BBC investigation, in one block of seven flats owned by Athwal, all of the flats had mould. The BBC also found faulty fire alarms and lighting.
Tenants told the BBC that “Athwal and his property manager were slow to respond to complaints or were completely unresponsive” and Athwal has subsequently admitted his properties were not licenced – despite the council he led until recently demanding that landlords pay some £800 per licence.
While the London Renters Union has taken a strong anti-landlord line on the issue, Generation Rent – which has a former Labour candidate for police and crime commissioner as its chief executive – has not called for Athwal’s resignation.
Instead, in a tweet, it has called for him to be banned from letting properties.
The tweet says: “Shocking allegations that an MP is profiting from letting homes ridden with mould and infestations, without a legally-required license. If proven, anyone putting renters at risk by dodging responsibilities should be banned from letting out homes. These allegations reveal a wider problem with England’s weak protections for renters, who understandably fear being evicted if they were to make complaints. This underlines the need for the government to urgently bring forward its promised law to end unfair evictions.”
