Merton is massively letting down private renters by failing to help them deal with their landlords, according to figures revealed in a report by London Assembly Liberal Democrats.
There are around 25,000 households in private rented accommodation in the borough, yet shockingly Merton Council did not prosecute a single landlord for providing unsafe accommodation in 2014/15, and barely took any other form of enforcement action against rogue landlords.
Responding to the stark figures, Adrian Hyyrylainen-Trett, Merton & Wandsworth London Assembly Liberal Democrat candidate said:
"We know that around 60 per cent of renters experience either damp, mould, leaking roofs or windows, electrical hazards, animal infestation or gas leaks - according to housing charity Shelter.
"And yet Merton Council is barely doing anything to help them.
"It's clear that this just isn't a priority for this Council.
"Newham Council was responsible for over 70 per cent of all prosecutions in London under the Housing Act 2004 in 2014/15 - and they have a mandatory landlord licensing scheme. This is why I'm backing Lib Dem mayoral candidate Caroline Pidgeon's plan for a London-wide mandatory licencing scheme and the scrapping of lettings fees for tenants."
Notes:
- Adrian Hyyrylainen-Trett is the Liberal Democrat candidate for Merton & Wandsworth on the London Assembly.London Assembly Liberal Democrat report ROGUE LANDLORDS IN LONDON: A survey of local authority enforcement in the private rented sector
- The 60% figure is derived from an online survey of 4,544 English private renters carried out by YouGov between December 2013 and January 2014. See p 4 of Shelter's Can’t complain: why poor conditions prevail in private rented homes (2014).
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