London’s criminal landlords are to be ‘named and shamed’ in an online database set to be launched on the Mayor of London’s website this autumn.
The new database will list the names of landlords who have been convicted of a housing offence, and this information can help private tenants should they want to check whether a property is owned by a criminal landlord.
As well as private renters, this database will also be of benefit to landlords in London, helping to separate the minority of rogue landlords from the majority of honest landlords who manage their properties well and provide a good home for their tenants.
Initially, the database will only take information on landlords from six London councils: Camden, Brent, Newham, Sutton, Kingston, and Southwark.
Newham Council in particular has been proactive in the fight against criminal landlords, and has seen over 1,000 criminal landlords prosecuted in the Newham borough alone.
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I fully support the excellent work councils like Newham are doing to target the worst offenders in their borough. I will continue to support them and other boroughs who use licensing schemes effectively to drive up standards in the private rented sector.”
London’s landlords have been the target of multiple tax and stamp duty changes recently. However, the Mayor’s database will help landlords who play by the rules, which is the vast majority.
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