The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has launched an online tool that allows tenants to check that their landlord has the correct property licence.
If the landlord is not in possession of a licence, the mayor’s office says, as well as enforcement action potentially being taken by the local council against the landlord, any Section 21 no fault eviction notice taken out could also be ruled invalid and up to 12 months’ rent may be repaid.
Khan also says that he wants the government to give his office control of the capital’s licensing schemes.
Generation Rent deputy director Dan Wilson Craw estimates that, “As many as one in eight private renters in London lives in a property that is not properly licensed,” which he says makes tenants more vulnerable to unsafe conditions and mistreatment.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan comments: “With nearly a fifth of London’s private rented accommodation not meeting basic standards, it is vital that every privately rented property is licensed so landlords can be held to account for the conditions their tenants live in.
“My new Property Licence Checker is a key part of my work to redress the imbalance of power that currently exists in the London private rented sector. London’s renters deserve to live in safe, secure, comfortable accommodation, whilst councils need the tools to deal with rogue operators.
“That’s why I’m calling on the government to give City Hall the power to consider and approve new licensing schemes in London. This would help create more consistency in property licensing across London, creating a more transparent system for landlords and better protections for London’s private renters, who time and again are treated as an afterthought by ministers.”
Safer Renting founding member and head Roz Spencer adds: “We would recommend checking whether property needs and has a license before taking on a tenancy. Would you want to be renting from a landlord who is avoiding their responsibilities?
“As with the Mayor’s “Check a Landlord” portal, this is another significant tool to empower London’s renters that those outside the capital don’t have.”
