Just hours after the government said it was relaxing rules for councils licensing landlords, a London authority has launched “a rigorous programme of inspections.”
The Labour council in Ealing is conducting what it calls a “clampdown on rogue landlords.”
Inspections of HMOs are being ramped up in Ealing borough, apparently “in response to concerns raised by residents.”
The inspections aim to make sure that landlords are complying with regulations and providing tenants with safe, well-maintained homes, while minimising disturbances in the surrounding community.
More than 130 HMOs have been inspected since August, with plans just announced to inspect at least 100 of the larger properties each month going forward.
Currently, the borough is home to 1,709 large licensable HMOs – which house 5 or more people – and 1386 small licensable HMOs.
A statement says: “These inspections are to make sure that landlords and agents are fulfilling their legal duties and providing homes with the right amenities, appropriate room sizes, and the right fire safety measures. During the inspections, key focus areas include fire precautions and means of escape.”
There are around 15,000 privately rented homes in the borough, and the council claims it is committed to ensuring that private renters have access to safe, secure and decent homes.
Councillor Louise Brett, the council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for safe and genuinely affordable homes, recently joined the council’s HMO inspection team to see this process first-hand. The first property inspected was fully compliant, with the right facilities, spacious rooms, and all required safety certifications.
The second property, however, revealed several hazards, including fire safety issues, inadequate heating, a tenant cooking in rooms without proper facilities, and unsafe DIY electrical work. The landlord is now required to rapidly address these issues, with enforcement action likely to be taken if improvements are not made within the time allowed.
She says: “While HMOs are an important part of the private rental sector, they can jeopardise the safety and wellbeing of residents when poorly managed.
“By ramping up inspections, we are furthering our commitment to ensuring residents feel safe in their homes and communities.
“Most landlords take this responsibility seriously and do a great job, but we know that some may need further guidance and support. For those who break the rules, we are committed to taking prompt action and ensuring they are accountable to their tenants.”
On Monday afternoon the government announced that from next week local councils will have the freedom to introduce draconian private rental licensing schemes without even asking the government.
The news – slipped through by the government in an update to guidance issued to local authorities – means councils will no longer even have to ask the Secretary of State for Housing for consent.
