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TODAY'S OTHER NEWS

'What kind of monster would do this?' asks politician after lettings bust

A council leader in London, so outraged after a bust of a rogue lettings property, has asked: “What kind of monster would profit from housing children in filthy and dangerous conditions like these?”

Graham Henson, leader of Harrow council, asked the question after a severely overcrowded property was banned from being let. 

Children were among those living amid mould and faulty electrics after a landlord ignored warnings from the authority. 

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Housing enforcement officers from the council had a narrow escape when they raided a property in Wealdstone so dangerous that the bathroom floor almost collapsed beneath them.

Although the landlord claimed there were just two tenants, officers were greeted on arrival by a sea of mattresses and some roughly-assembled bunk beds made from planks. 

The unlicensed HMO is believed to have crammed together as many as 18 people  including children. It had no working smoke detectors, faulty electrics, and mould all over the property.

“What kind of monster would profit from housing children in filthy and dangerous conditions like these? What if these faulty electrics caught fire? Or the rotten ceilings collapsed? It’s a nightmare that belongs in the Victorian era, not today” says Henson.

“It keeps me awake at night, worrying about illegal HMOs like these and the criminals that rent them out. We will never, ever stop uncovering properties like these and punishing those responsible.”

Henson says formal action will now be taken against the landlord for planning and housing offences and an emergency prohibition order will remain in place, preventing anyone from living there until the property has been made safe.

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    Whilst I agree these types a of properties should be licensed, it proved the council doesn’t do its jobs until it’s too late. As the article states it was unlicensed and the landlord ignored warnings from the authorities. Why didn’t the council act sooner?

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    It 'keeps him awake at night'?? Haha, laughable. Nothing like a bit of political hyperbole is there??

    Politicians think legislation is the answer to everything. As Leon Coy has pointed out, it's all pointless if the councils don't do their jobs and enforce it. This property was unlicensed and warnings ignored, further legislation will also be ignored by rogue landlords. Do you think scumbags like this care about 'compliance'?

    Bring in as much legislation as you want, it only gets complied with if it's enforced by fines, confiscation of property, or prison.

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    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-43640615

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    This landlord has "prior". Why on earth were the council not watching his every move. He owed a lot of council tax as well so they can not say they were not aware of him.

    Licensing has got nothing to do with this case. A useless council allowed this to happen all by itself.

    If a body calls itself a council and says it runs whatever then it has to do just that. If it can not then it is a massive case of fraud. The fact that the councils leaders have political alliances and superior ego matters not one jot.

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    Here we go again. No doubt that there will be more hassle for the good landlords instead of sorting out the parasites.

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    That's why I posted the link above. The rogue landlord whose flat caused the death of two tenants that led to the introduction of HMO Licensing in Scotland in 2002 still isn't even registered as a Landlord.

     
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    Yes you're right of course. More and more legislation but little in the way of enforcement. It just pushes more of the good guys out.

    A representative from our local council gave our landlord's group a talk about their selective licensing scheme and how well it was doing. Bearing in mind that it's pulled in millions for the council they've only had two prosecutions - guess what they were for. Not for overcrowding, not for dangerous appliances or poor maintenance. Not for failing to get gas certs or poor ventilation. The two prosecutions were against landlords that had failed to apply for selective licenses!

     
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