Stamp out slum landlords!

A new report from Multi-Let UK, an HMO investment and management company, states that 70 per cent of HMO investors want the authorities to crack down on HMO landlords who are abusing the law; 52 per cent want local councils to make more inspections to identify HMOs that are not up to standard and 73 per cent believe that slum landlords are giving HMOs a poor reputation. Findings from the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB), show that private landlords are taking £5.6bn in rent on homes that ‘don’t meet legal standards’ and 740,000 families are living in homes that present a severe threat to the occupants’ health; while Shelter says that 250,000 people live in accommodation that is unfit for human habitation, or where the landlord exploits or harasses them. Figures from the Residential Landlords Association show that 2,006 landlords were convicted between 2007-2015, with the average fine standing at £1,500. Daniel Hill, MD of Multi- Let UK said, “In many areas there are HMO landlords providing poor quality accommodation which fails to meet the statutory requirements, putting tenants’ wellbeing and potentially lives at risk. “The good news is that the majority of HMO landlords are taking a proactive approach and…