‘Chaotic’ rogue landlord measures show government doesn’t care, says Hackney Council

Rogue landlords will carry on exploiting tenants while Hackney Council rushes to implement the government’s “chaotic” measures, according to the mayor’s housing advisor.

Rent Repayment Orders will allow renters and councils to claim refunds for up to a year’s rent from landlords who evict tenants unlawfully, use violence to enter a home, fail to meet health and safety regulations or operate an House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) illegally.

With mistreatment of tenants rising as competition for homes increases and standards drop, the measures have been welcomed by Cllr Sem Moema, mayoral advisor for private housing. But despite them being outlined a year ago, they only came into force today – and the council was only told how they would work yesterday.

Cllr Moema, said: “The chaotic implementation of the measure and belated guidance has allowed and will continue to allow rogue landlords to exploit tenants while we rush to put the orders into practice, and shows the government’s lack of commitment to helping Britain’s nine million private renters.”

In Hackney, half of private renters say repairs are not made when needed and the poor condition of their home is a problem.

The average rent of a two-bed flat is now more than £1,800 a month. That means a two-bed household could claim back up to £22,000 through a Rent Repayment Order.