Council in first 20 prosecutions under licensing scheme for rental properties

Newham Council has begun 20 housing prosecutions since introducing a pioneering, borough-wide licensing scheme for private rented properties, it has been revealed.

The local authority added that it had the capacity to prosecute more than 500 cases over the next 12 months. Newham claimed that if this number of cases were brought, the total would amount to more housing enforcement than for the whole of the UK put together.

Newham introduced its scheme – the first time a council sought to license all private properties – on 1 January 2013. However, landlords were given a month’s extension. By 1 February, some 27,000 landlords had applied.

The council said officers and police had since visited more than 100 properties. It has also drawn up a ‘hit list’ of rented properties in the borough that are operating without a licence.

Sir Robin Wales, Newham’s Mayor, said: “We want to ensure that private sector rented properties are well managed and meet a good standard. We also want to deal with the crime and anti-social behaviour that is associated with bad private sector rented housing.

“There are good landlords in Newham and we want to work with them. Unfortunately there are also some unscrupulous ones – and we are going after them vigorously and robustly.”

Enforcement officers in Newham's Private Housing team are working in partnership with the police, planning enforcement, UK Border Agency and HMRC to ensure compliance.

Newham also recently launched a task force to tackle the issue of ‘sheds with beds’.

Kay Boycott, director of communications, policy and campaigns at Shelter, said: "We are delighted to hear that Newham Council has introduced this scheme, which will help protect vulnerable tenants from rogue landlords who are making their tenants' lives hell.”

Boycott urged other local councils to follow Newham's lead in “sending a clear signal that enforcing the law against rogue landlords is a priority”.