Just 2.6% of estimated HMO landlords so far registered in Greenwich borough
Council documents have revealed that so far only 2.6% of landlords who operate Homes of Multiple Occupation across Greenwich Borough have so far registered.
According to the council:
168 license applications had been received and 26 licenses issued. The number of applications represents 2.6% of the total number of HMOs that need to be licensed, based on the estimate of 6500 HMOs in the borough. An additional 1.7% (111) were already licensed under the statutory schemethat was in place before October 1st 2017
Since October all landlords of HMOs have needed to register in the borough after a large number of issues found on inspections. Discounts apply to landlords until 18th March.
The report also states:
Since the start of the project the team have visited 2695 properties and responded to 1404 complaints regarding poor conditions. Over 2500 HHSRS hazards have been identified. 1098 Category one hazards requiring immediate rectification and 1501 category two hazards requiring remedial action
The rapid growth of people in private rentals, often forced on people by a severe shortage of social housing and extremely high house prices mean that 29% of households now rent privately across Greenwich borough.
Of the total number of private rental properties, 20% are estimated to be HMOs with rooms let out individually. This is also a way for landlords to maximise income from Housing Benefit (or Housing Allowance as it’s now known) which costs the taxpayer big.
Councils can now fine landlords £30,000 per offence. This is likely to yield far greater income than prosecution, with feeble fines often handed out that are little disincentive when rental income can exceed the fine in a short number of months.
Criticism
Greenwich council’s program of seeking out HMOs has come in for criticism. On one occasion recently they placed signs on streets in an area inspections were taking place as well as broadcasting that online.
Presumably they thought it was a good bit of PR but it allowed landlords to know what was happening and tell tenants to keep quiet.
They’ve also recently mistakenly sent out letters to homeowners or tenants in homes that aren’t HMOs.
However if landlords do hide and are caught they must pay a 30% excess charge above standard HMO license costs, face potential prosecution or fines and in some cases ordered to pay the previous year’s rental income to the local authority.
It’ll be interesting to see how many rogue landlords are pursued in this way.
Greenwich is one of the more conservative authorities when it comes to regulating private landlords. They adopted powers many years after other London authorities, and though they now have HMO licensing, they have not adopted licensing for other private rental properties.
Lewisham Council recently agreed to cover 20% of other private rental properties in addition to HMOs in the worst wards for housing issues, in what is known as selective licensing, and Bexley are consulting upon doing so.
Hardly surprising. Only those landlords whose premises are already of a decent standard and willing to abide by the guidelines will bother. Don’t hold your breath for vigorous pursuit and enforcement of rogue landlords as Greenwich has proved itself to be deficient in so many other areas.
Fromthemurkydepths, thank you ever so for you post.Much thanks again.
Fromthemurkydepths, thanks for the article post.Really thank you! Great.
Sigh.
We’ve seen how bad many landlords are. As soon as the deadline is over Greenwich should hit with big fines. Would help that budget issues.
But they are soft on people like that.
Totally agree with the above two comments. The Royal Borough of Greenwich are far to soft with these landlords. They need to hit rogue landlords hard if not registered by the deadline. They can put lives at risk with people living in dangerous unsafe properties. Now is the time to act.
All HMO landlords must have fire alarm systems installed in their properties and carry out regular health and safety checks on boilers heating systems and electrics. It is vitally important that the Royal Borough of Greenwich take the necessary action against landlords that do not comply. This also includes Local Authority and Housing Association landlords installing fire alarm systems in blocks of flats managed by them.
I’m in one of the undeclared, unlicensed Greenwich HMO’s – been here just over a year. It’s a dump, but they were the only landlords I could find that a would take me as a person on sickness and housing benefits.
We had an inspection a few weeks ago, and I earwigged when the inspector was summarising her findings to the landlord’s representative.
Essentially, they failed on multiple accounts and need to make A LOT of changes – one tenant is in a box room which just about fits a single bed- heard the inspector say that it was unsuitable accommodation.
Another tenant’s room was deemed a failure due to fire safety and also ‘personal hygiene’.
Didn’t catch anything about my room, and I’m actively looking to GTFO London, but I’m thinking there’s an imminent mass eviction so they can just sell the place. We’re all on benefits and I’ve read that landlords in violation of HMO rules can be made to repay up to 12 months of housing benefit to the council, hence I reckon we’ll be kicked out.
I’ve saved and saved to afford to move to another city, and most of my stuff is already in a storage locker, so I could easily go with 1mths notice. The others, not so much.