The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has called for bigger fines to be issued to rogue landlords as part of a move to protect the capital’s renters.
The mayor has called on ministers to double to two years' worth of rent the amount that tenants can claim back if their rented accommodation poses a risk of death or serious injury.
For London tenants paying an average rent of £1,425 a month this could mean a pay-out of up to £34,000.
The mayor has also announced that he will fund a new qualification and training for local authority housing enforcement officers, and repeated his call to be given the power to introduce rent controls.
‘Every single Londoner deserves a secure, safe and comfortable home. Nearly a fifth of London’s private rented accommodation doesn’t meet basic standards and it is clear that more needs to be done to support tenants,’ he said.
‘I want to see tougher penalties for rogue operators and this action can only come from the Government. Poor housing conditions and exploitative rents have an awful impact on both the physical and mental health of tenants and these actions need to have consequences.
‘With the cost-of-living spiralling, Londoners also need the Government to give us the power to bring in rent controls which May’s election gave us a clear mandate for.
‘I also want to see boroughs empowered to stand up for tenants. This new qualification will give councils across London the workforce and expertise to mediate disputes, enforce standards and crack down on the rogues who give the many honest operators in the sector a bad name.’
