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London councillors are in a mess over plans to evict 160 private families living in council-owned property so that their homes can be handed to people experiencing homelessness.
The plan has sparked outrage among the tenants, and one has launched a judicial review claiming that the council illegally rented the homes.
The private renter has a tenancy agreement with Homes for Lambeth, a private management company owned by Lambeth Council. The tenant argues that the council, rather than the company, is the landlord, which makes the lets illegal as the council cannot rent private homes by law under the Localism Act 2011.
Calling for the council to stop the evictions, solicitor Alexandra Goldenberg, from Public Interest Law Centre (PILC) acting for the unnamed tenant, said: “Lambeth’s decision to rent these properties on the private market is unlawful and has created a devastating impact on hundreds of residents across the borough who have been evicted or are facing eviction.”
Temporary accommodation for the homeless costs Lambeth £90 million a year. The borough has about 1,600 homeless households.
Landlord Hassan Redha Hussain must pay £20,000 in fines and costs for ignoring a council improvement notice to repair a buy-to-let home riddled with damp, lacking gas and electrical safety certificates and smoke alarms.
He also failed to comply with a council notice to confirm the owner of the property.
Hussain was found guilty of all offences in his absence by Telford magistrates last month. The case was adjourned to Kidderminster magistrates, where he was fined £16,000 for ignoring the notices and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £2,000 and £2,000 costs to Telford and Wrekin Council, Shropshire.
A landlord, only known as Mr Daly, must pay £1,550 fines and costs for breaching an HMO additional licence by failing to maintain the property safely.
Rhondda Cynon Taf Council told Merthyr Magistrates Court the HMO in Pontyprith had flaky paint and render outside, while the front door had a broken and draughty frame.
Daly admitted the offences and was fined £1000 for the defects, £150 costs and a £400 victim surcharge.
Concerns over lack of safety and poor living conditions in a block of six flats led to Telford and Wrekin’s housing team inspecting the building.
Landlord Gunes Ata was asked to hand over safety reports covering the property’s management, electrics, gas, asbestos and fire safety but failed to do so, Kidderminster magistrates were told.
Ata was found guilty on two counts of ignoring notices issued by the council.
Magistrates ordered that he pay fines of £2,000 on each count plus a £1,600 victim surcharge and £1,697 in costs.
Councillor Richard Overton, the council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for highways, housing and enforcement, said: “Private landlords have a responsibility to maintain their rental homes to certain legal standards.”