A lettings agency claims rogue agents and landlords are cashing in on the housing shortage and the demand for cheaper accommodation, by providing increasing volumes of sub-standard beds in sheds'.
Earlier this year, rogue landlords were under the microscope when Harrow council used aerial photography to identify beds in sheds' - reportedly finding over 300 suspect sites based on complaints from neighbours.
A separate BBC investigation found one landlord charging £1,000 a month to family with a small child, for a small, windowless room behind a fake garage door.
Elsewhere in London, Newham, Southwark and Ealing councils described estate agents marketing garages and sheds that failed to meet the most basic legal requirements for habitation, such as windows, and sometimes lacking electricity and running water.
Now the managing director of Propertyletbyus, Jane Morris, claims there are thousands of sheds and outbuildings let out illegally by agents.
I'm appalled that high street letting agents are taking on these beds in sheds' and marketing them to potential tenants. There needs to be massive investment in building more social housing she says.
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Comments
The landlords should be taken to court, sub standard lettings are not fair!!!
Such "landlords" should be fined heavily and the money from these fines should go directly into funding new affordable homes for people in dire need.
Agree with all comments and I have to say that my heart goes out to these families and individuals living in such conditions because of greedy landlords/agents with no morals and their eyes focused solely on cash. B*****rds.
I don't know how this could be funded and I am maybe being too simplistic. However, to rid us all of these rogue agents and Landlords that stoke up the pyre of "bash the letting agent - even if they are professional" - can we not do this.
EVERY Landlord/Letting Agent is given a license to operate. And, no I don't mean a "cash cow" opportunity for local Councils to charge an extortionate fee for doing nothing which has been the case recently.
If a Landlord/Agent is found to be renting beds in sheds or operating fraudulently etc. they are immediately stripped of their licence. Kind of like when company directors are stripped of their right to be a director again.
They then have a set amount of time to wind their business up/sell it and can never operate in the lettings industry again.
Ban goes the rogue agents. My only concern about this is what happens to the tenants of these agents/landlords. More thought needed here I think.
I am ranting because I am fed up with hearing about these "rogue agents/landlords" and, quite simply, nothing being done about it. It's been going on for months now. As political parties are realising that the PRS comprises some 9 million voters (and we have an election next year :)) they are all jumping on the bandwagon yapping on about rogues but sod all is being done.
Typical politicians!
Completely agree - Giving the rest of us a bad name and just completely inhumane. Rogue landlords and agents are taking advantage of the shortage of housing - this should be an eye-opener to the government but the fact that they're taking advantage in the first place shouldn't be overlooked. It's utterly disgraceful and I think there should be a better punishment system for the ones who choose to do this.
This needs to be sorted out and quick. Charging 1,000 a month for a small, windowless room behind a fake garage door is absolutely abhorrent. Do these people not have morals Problem is, with the continuing cuts and austerity measures, as well as the ever-increasing cost of living, this isn't going to go away soon, with more and more people rife for exploitation. But the government don't really care, do they Otherwise they'd have done more to stamp this out earlier. Preventative measures and regulation need to be put in place immediately to stop this happening.
Beds in sheds are a disgrace and everything should be done to stamp them out. A few things need to happen to help iron this out. More affordable homes of a decent standard, especially in London, have to be built or made available. As well as this, wages need to catch up with the cost of living, to prevent desperate people having to resort to cheap, uninhabitable accommodation. Until this happens, landlords and agents with loose morals will take full advantage.