London Mayor Sadiq Khan is demanding action over the ‘scandal’ that billiions of pounds are being paid to landlords for substandard properties.

This includes more than a billion pounds of housing benefit ‘ending up in the pockets of private landlords’ who are letting dangerous, cold or dilapidated homes across England, he says.

Analysis by the Mayor’s office shows that across the country landlords are collecting £9bn a year in rent for homes that pose a risk to residents’ health or life, are in a bad state of repair, are cold or lack modern facilities – designated ‘non-decent’ according to the Government’s definition.

Of the total, £1.6bn comes from payment of housing benefit, according to the analysis.

It shows that London has the highest spending on rent with landlords receiving £3.5bn every year from around 180,000 privately rented substandard homes.

The second worst-affected region is Yorkshire and the Humber, where landlords are receiving nearly £1bn in rent, including around £130m a year in housing benefit, from around 160,000 privately rented, substandard properties.

Private landlords in the South West are accumulating around £870m in rent, with more than £160m of this coming from housing benefit through letting sub-standard homes.

Mayor Khan said: ‘We are building a record number of new affordable homes in London, but we need to see national action to support renters.

‘It is a scandal that some private landlords are profiting from letting sub-standard housing that is unfit for 21st century living.’