Operators of an estimated 3,500 Houses in Multiple Occupation in the London borough of Islington have been branded the wild west of private renting by a leading member of the Labour controlled council.
The authority last week agreed a selective licensing regime covering two large private rental areas of the borough, around the Caledonian and Holloway roads. Housing committee chair James Murray described the alleged poor management of many of the properties in the areas as the wild west of private renting in a quote in the Islington Tribune.
Council officers surveyed HMOs in both roads last year following concerns about low standards of property management. They found problems in more than two thirds of the HMOs surveyed - 141 out of 208 - including fire alarms not working, neglected electrical systems, and badly maintained communal areas including damaged flooring and staircases.
Other problems included mice infestations, gas safety certificates not being issued to tenants and undersized box rooms being let.
Landlords who fail to license risk prosecution and fines up to £20,000, and could be required to repay up to 12 months' rent for letting a property which should have been licensed but wasn't.
Now that the area has been designated as subject to additional licensing, HMO landlords will be required to apply to the council for a licence, with the scheme coming into effect on 1 September.
"We've been very concerned about poor management in Holloway Road and Caledonian Road, and our investigation of shared properties along those two streets found widespread problems ranging from faulty fire alarms to tiny 'shoebox' rooms being rented out. On the back of the evidence we found, we're now introducing this licensing scheme to make sure landlords are providing tenants with decent homes" says Murray.
The scheme in Islington beats the government deadline of April 1, after which large scale licensing regimes require ministerial approval.
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