Criminal landlords operating in London will soon be named and shamed in an online database. Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan believes the new landlord database will make it harder for rogue landlords to attract tenants into their properties.
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Database Published on Greater London Authority Website
The database, to be published on the Greater London Authority website, will include the details of all landlords and letting agents who have been prosecuted for housing related offences in London. Renters will be able to access the website if they want to check on the status of their landlord or letting agent. People can also use the website to inform on criminal landlords or letting agents.
Richard Lambert, CEO of the National Landlords Association thinks the landlord register is a good idea. He said it would “make it much easier for renters to find and avoid anyone who has been prosecuted for housing related crimes.”
Misses the Point says Tory Housing Spokesperson
Not everyone agrees, though. Conservative housing spokesman, Andrew Boff, believes the website is a good idea, but it doesn’t take into account that many rogue landlords and letting agents operate outside of the system. These people “thrive because of the shortage of housing – a shortage that the mayor is not taking adequate steps to address,” he told the BBC.
Initially, the website will only cover key boroughs, but if it is successful, it will be rolled out the entire Greater London area in 2018.