More landlords are quitting the temporary accommodation sector in London, causing homeless families to be evicted from emergency housing and replaced with private tenants.
The number of notices to quit – documents providers submit to councils to end agreements to use properties as temporary accommodation – has increased sharply across the capital.
Between September 2022 and April 2023, notices to quit for 3,531 properties in use as emergency accommodation were received by 15 boroughs who responded to a survey by London Councils.
This was a 120% increase on the 1,601 notices received over the same period in 2021-22, according to the cross-party organisation.
The figures represent a loss of 6% of London’s total temporary accommodation stock, London Councils said.
According to research by the organisation, one in 50 Londoners are now homeless, including one in 23 children, and councils in the capital are spending £60m a month on temporary accommodation.
Darren Rodwell, London Councils’ executive member for regeneration, housing and planning, said: ‘Across London we see landlords withdrawing their properties from use as temporary accommodation, meaning that boroughs run out of alternatives and place families with children in unsuitable B&Bs.
‘The homelessness situation in London is becoming unmanageable. We need the Government to work with us in reversing the numbers relying on temporary accommodation.’
