Rogue operators in last night’s Landlords from Hell documentary on C4 were shown as greedily preying on their tenants, providing squalid, damp and dangerous accommodation.
Presenter Jon Snow, who used to work at a day centre for London’s homeless before his television career, said that making the documentary proved a shocking and upsetting eye-opener.
“I had no idea that such widespread abuse and exploitation still plays such a role in the private rented sector,” he said.
“This month I have spent hours in flats and houses in which you would not leave a dog for an hour. I have smelt the dank fungi that leaches its way across the walls of a two-bedroom flat in Rochdale and wandered between rows of garden sheds to the west of London in which rafts of men live two, three, and four to a shed.
“At night you hear the voices in the dark, see the chinks of light through the boards, hear the clank of cooking pots as they prepare supper at the end of a working day.
“It perplexes me that society can be so consumed with the state of education and health provision in Britain, and yet turn so active a blind eye to the true state of where people actually live.”
The housing charity Shelter estimates there is a shortage of a million homes in the UK.
Snow said: “Shortages push better-off people further down the housing chain to squeeze the vulnerable out of the bottom onto the streets.
“Britain today has a housing crisis on a level with that at the end of the Second World War and yet is building fewer homes than at any time since the First World War.”
The documentary is certain to stir up new calls for mandatory licensing of landlords and letting agents. The housing charity Shelter is already running a campaign to license landlords to drive rogues out of the sector.
Snow said: “There is no register of landlords, no record kept of who is running all those buy-to-lets. Local authorities dare not inspect many establishments for fear that they will have to re-house those inside – they have nowhere to re-house anyone.
“The Government’s own figures reveal that 40% of all housing in the private sector is in ‘poor condition’.
“And this is the 21st Century.”
Shelter yesterday said that over 7.5 million tenants have had issues with their landlords in the last ten years. Three million said the landlords did nothing to address the problems.
An independent survey by YouGov, commissioned by Shelter, showed 16% of tenants have had problems, but that 41% of tenants who had tried talking to their landlord did not receive any help.
A worrying 7% – which equates to 550,000 tenants – said they dared not complain because they were scared of the consequences.
An estimated 3.4 million people in England now live in the private rented sector, with a 40% rise in the past five years.
Two-thirds of people surveyed agree that they want stronger rules for landlords to protect private tenants.
Campbell Robb, chief executive of Shelter, said: “The Government have to recognise their responsibility to protect this vast and growing population of private tenants, especially when our research has proved that Generation Rent want better rules to protect them.
“We urge the housing minister to work closely with all local authorities and ensure they are using every weapon in their armoury to crack down on unlawful operators.
“It is absolutely essential that we are sending a clear signal to tenants, landlords and local authorities that enforcing the law against rogue landlords is a priority.”
Shelter says that cuts to housing benefit and lack of social housing will push vulnerable families into the bottom end of an unregulated private rented sector, where they will be at the mercy of rogue landlords looking to cash in.
Robb said: “Throughout this campaign we have been continually shocked at the treatment tenants receive at the hands of these unscrupulous operators. What is more worrying is just how many people are being affected by rogue landlord practice.”
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Comments
Hi I rent through a company called Chris McAvoy Lettings who you would think would have a reputation to uphold however my boiler broke sat morning leaving me with no hot water in the property. It took 3 days for them to action depite messages being left, and it is no day four they seem to think it is acceptable to charge full rent and not chase parts that should have been delivered and installed within 24 hours! (by tues 12.15).
They inform me they have rented this house for the last 10 years and in that time the boiler has never been serviced upon quiering this I was told it had been serviced in that time. When asking to look at the service records Mr McAvoy himself refused to show me them as it would prove that there was no service undertaken! It is the height of summer and he does not consider it a hygine or health issue???? yet sits there himself with two rather large sweaty patches under his arms after a day in the office.
He infomred me that he was in the office on sat morning up until 13.00 and even if i had left a message on the office phone its not to say that he would have picked it up and actioned it before monday. A message was left on the company mobile as there are no out of hours service at 11.50. The office phone as usual just rang out. He does not think it appropiate to resolve the issue and would prefer environmental health and fair rents to get involved and stated himself that he would quite happily leave his own daughter unable to shower for four days in the height of the summer. THIS IS ONE ESTATE AGENT TO BE AVOIDED.
Plaster falling off walls and kitchen draw front broken from before I moved in yet this takes 9 months to inspect and action.
At christmas the valve on the radiators broke and i was left with no heating for two weeks.
Now second time in 9 months I have had to vacate the property.
Like all TV documentaries, newspaper articles and even tales told down the pub, there is always more than one side to the story. There are of course the unscrupulous Landlords, there are also the nightmare tenants and all levels in between.
As a commercial company, specialising in providing solutions to damp, condensation and black mould problems, we are called in to survey unfit properties every day of the week on behalf of tenants, managing agents, landlords etc.
We see examples of tenants living in conditions that are horrendous. You would not allow your dog to live in conditions like that. In our own research, we understand that over 25% of all the English housing stock suffers with a damp, condensation or black mould issue.
Having identified a problem, a common response from landlords is that the problem is the tenants fault. In some cases yes. We have seen cases where tenants to ensure that they have a visible problem, jugs of water are thrown at walls before Surveyors attend, extractor fans are turned off, air vents are covered over with corn flakes packs. As stated before though, this is the minority and they have an underlying motive for example wanting to move.
Landlords often tell the tenants to ventilate by opening windows. Would they do this themselves? What if it was snowing outside or lived in a ground floor flat, would they leave their windows open for easy access of burglars. Let alone potentially forcing a tenant into fuel poverty by allowing what heat they have to escape the building?
Tenants can help themselves if they do have poor landlord. Ensuring what ventilation they have is used correctly, for example not blocking up air vents, not pulling fuses on extractor fans, not using calor gas heaters and drying clothes internally. If they want a relatively cheap option to stop mould growing on painted surfaces (£20approx) they could use a Kair mould control pack containing surface cleansers and mould eradication additives pots to convert standard paint into an anti-mould coating that mould can’t grow on. Moving up the scale there are of course mini or portable dehumidifiers but these can be noisy and expensive to run if you choose the cheaper high street versions.
New Builds and properties being redeveloped are required to comply with Building Regulations. Ventilation is specifically covered by Part F. Landlords are required to carry out regular gas and electrical inspections – Why not ensure adequate ventilation?
Landlords should look at their investment and protect it long term. Adequate ventilation, that does not require tenant intervention is best. Remember that properties need to breathe just like us. The Building Research Establishment tagline – “Build Tight – Ventilate Right”. Mechanical ventilation that is either humidistat controlled or preferably continuous heat recovery ventilation are the best long term solutions for tenants, landlords and our housing stock.
For more information on the causes and solutions for Damp, Condensation and Mould, please visit our website www.kiltox.co.uk including a free download Guide to Condensation and Mould Growth Control.
I love agents even the really bad ones!
(get the point Jazz!)
Jazz - you are mistaken.
Foxtons have had more bad PR on blogs and review sites than anyone else - they arent doing too badly....
Apologies for typo. I do that when I am frustrated. Anyway glad we are back onto the more important topic again:)
The only way I believe rogue landlords and agents will go away, is to name and shame. No amount of fines will deter these guys
jazZ27 - Firstly, it was 3 letters not 2 which you managed to not only miscount but also miss spell. Is your name really jazZ27?
Secondly, our service is actually very good. In fact the ONLY negative out of many positives was from another agent using the format to their own ends. Sadly, you seemed to miss this point but I can do no more than explain as LAT doesn't allow pictures.
We do get complaints and we work hard to remedy any issues - but this proves difficult if only brought to our attention anonymously without disclosure of the property and the complainant.
We all wish to rid the world of rogue agents, rogue landlords and also rogue websites.
Jazz27...As KGB startes, cleafrly you have a vested interest!
Allagents is not a fair site as it has no way of telling what posts are fake or genuine , and also how can you air your view when in most cases no one know what property, tenant or landlrod it releates to.
It is therfore open to abuse!
Kjb, i take it your another agent that doesn't like review sites because you can't provide a good service! Its ironic that you say this in one breath yet you hide your true identity behind 2 letters'! This whole topic started because the Uk wants to get rid of rogue landlords and agents.
Jazz - clearly you have a vested interest.
HOWEVER - I am aware on a number of postings made that are simply untrue and malicious. I interviewed someone last year who TOLD ME his boss regularly added false comments then told prospective landlords to check out the ratings!
Likewise, with a let only instruction, the agents duty finishes at the commencement of the tenancy - yet tenants often complain about problems when the landlord doesn't act and where the agent has no mandate to intervene.
Your patronising tone is indicative of the fact that these notice boards fail to grasp how the industry works.
A chap recently made some horrid remarks to his mates via twitter to replies of "Go for it mate - give them hell". I offered to look into it - turned out, there were no issues other than a washing machine not functioning for 48 hours. He later apologised.
We had accusations recently "They refused to give me details of the deposit scheme" ER - Its the lead pages of the tenancy agreement.
"At the end of the tenancy, they refused to return my deposit and tried to keep it for themselves" - No - the landlord refused to release all of it and was sent to the TDS.
"Got S21 on move in" - Not possible. Never. Made up.
"They are incompetent - a tap was dripping and they didnt fix it" - It was a let only and we are not clairvoyant.
Nevertheless, a prospective landlord may be put off.
Paul, sites like Allagents allow you to comment on, just like here. So if you disagree with the comment, then you can view your side. If you agent is getting bad reviews, then perhaps you should be looking at it as constructive critisim and doing something about it. It's not all the reviewers that are wrong.....
Dave@CW ....These type of websites are are of use to the public but only if properly monitored. Everyone should have the right to view feedback on companies but only if it is genuine and at least showing a balanced arguement, but instead the only thing that allagents can say is "we encourage you to give a response", it's completely unfair on companies that are actually trying to do things properly.
Also most comments are from people who do not understand what their responsibilities are or who have decided to get their own back because the landlord kicked them out for not paying rent!
We had a post taken down on Allagents as it was a malicious comment from a competitor and wholly untrue. I detest anonymous feedback forums which can impact on a company unfairly and inaccurately.... he says, anonymously!!
Io,
I think we are in agreement with most things, except on the best way to make it the most damage.
Tv is not the way as your 3 points are valid. We need an online exposure system that will be there for anyone to read and make their judgment on whether to use them based on what they read. If prospective tenants can see before hand on how their agent or landlord has conducted business, then the fear of loosing business will drive the service level up.
The reviews on Allagents site may be individual opinions, however if a landlord or agent is getting reviews about the same things, then this should start ringing alarm bells and local authorities should then investigate
Jazz27...
Don't talk to me about allagents.co.uk. The website is a joke and is completely open to random & unmonitored comments from all and sundry.
Many comments are from competing agents and the person who monitors the site does nothing to enure that the posters are genuine.
Oh and his now selling the site apparently.
@jazz27
I have no idea who or what you are (I am a specialist lettings agent) but I'll wager you own and rent out your own properties? Otherwise why object to Landlords having to do so through regulated, authorised and above all, monitored with teeth licensing (as well as taking property off rogue Landlords I'd also close down crap agents too).
You are living in cloud cuckoo land if you think last night's programme will do the slightest good. I don't want to be accused by Ray Evans of being a glass half empty man as he did elsewhere last week and especially after he has agreed with me in the Nottingham boards thread, but as a realist who has seen this sort of thing dozens of times (and on all sorts of subjects) let me flag up the following why it will have minimal if any impact:-
1. Minimal numbers will have seen the programme anyway
2. LAs clearly have other things to sorry about
3. Grant Shapps obviously has too
4. Why should the rogues be affected at all? Didn't you see the way they cocked a snook at authority last night? Rulkes and Laws don't worry them - so take property off them and jail them is the only answer.
5. This Allagents.co.uk just what is this a review site (as second post) or a registration site (as first). Again how many people that really need to see it will do so?
6. Finally and sadly demand and desperation will continue to feed greedy, manipulative and uncaring bastards like the two exposed last night. Always has done and always will do. The sheds fiasco though is a disgrace and the LA should definitely do something about that.
Final word. If Allagents.co.uk is just a perconal opinions and experiences site then as I have always counselled if it is not backed by a Court Order then be very careful about posting any adverse comments that are no more than one side of a situation
I completely disagree. Exposing these guys publicly last night done more damage to them than what any authority could possibly do. Rogue landlords and agents need to be exposed in public domain otherwise they can just continue and abuse the next 'victim'. People need to read reviews about their landlord before letting from them and I applause Allagents.co.Uk for doing this.
Only if it is independent, Statute backed and has real teeth. Voluntary registration schemes are useless - the good guys volunteer because they meet the criteria, the bad ones don't.
After last night is it any wondr I have been saying for 20 years that letting is too important to be left to individuals even if well intentioned and not like the crook portrayed last night. Whe he hasn't had the pants sued off him under Protection from Eviction Act 1977 offences I do not know, probably intimidation of complainants.
What is needed is an effective compulsory scheme where property is only let through regulated and licensed agents.
Landlords like last night's charnmer from Manchester (can't remember his name and interesting it is not stated above - someone frightened of getting sued?) should have their properties taken from them under compulsory powers already existing to a degree for LAs to use, but which need beefing up.
That is the only way to stop these people - and there are huge numbers of them preying on the most defenceless in our society - take the properties off them.
Anything else is just a waste of space - as were Grant Shapps contributions last night, just meaningless platitudes so he could get off air and back into the Commons bar.
By the way the Mary Portas series is being repeated I think 1.30 on Tuesday afternoons. For smoe reason not on this week but last week was the mobile phones one so estate agents is next in series (I think)
Allagents.co.Uk the letting review site is about to launch their own Uk landlord registration. I don't know a great deal about it yet, but after last nights programme, their timing is perfect!