London landlords rake in £3.5b from renting "non-decent" homes

The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has called for national action as new analysis reveals landlords are receiving £3.5 billion annually from renting sub-standard housing in London.

Analysis from City Hall found that £9 billion per year is being collected nationally by landlords who privately rent "non-decent" properties. 

More than a third of this income is amassed in London, through around 180,000 properties that pose health risks to tenants, are in a bad state of repair, are cold or lack modern facilities.

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.  

"Renters would feel more secure raising complaints about the condition of their property if they didn't face the threat of arbitrary eviction, which is why I have long called for Section 21 'no fault' evictions to be abolished. 

"The Government should also give me the power to drive up standards and introduce a rent freeze in London to help people during this cost-of-living crisis.  

"If we are to continue building a better London for everyone, we need the Government to step up to empower our city's renters. 

"Ministers must urgently introduce the long-promised Renters Reform legislation, properly fund borough private rented sector enforcement teams, and increase the fines for landlords who break the rules." 

Yorkshire and the Humber is the second worst impacted area, with nearly £1 billion being collected annually by landlords and the South-West is third with around £870 million. 

Dan Wilson Craw, Acting Director, Generation Rent, said: "It is an outrage that not only can private landlords provide worse accommodation than social landlords, but they get paid more for it. 

"Increasing reliance on the private sector to provide housing has resulted in a higher bill for the public purse with nothing to show for it but poorer living standards. 

"The government has an opportunity with the upcoming Renters Reform Bill to give private renters higher expectations of their landlord and introduce much tougher penalties for landlords who fall short of the Decent Homes Standard."