Activists unite to protest against unlawful landlords. – TNT

Protestors joined forces to stage a protest outside Hackney Town Hall this week to demand tougher action on unscrupulous landlords.

ACORN Hackney organised the protest, calling on the local authority to do more to tackle rogue landlords.

The council’s cabinet recently backed a proposal to launch a consultation on introducing new licensing rules in the borough’s private rented sector, which would require around three-quarters of landlords in Hackney to meet set standards to qualify for a licence for their properties.

Only four wards in the borough – Haggerston, Hoxton East and Shoreditch, Hoxton West and Woodberry Down – would not be covered by the new rules, although HMO licences would still be required.

Hackney Council says property licences help to improve housing conditions, protect tenants, and promote responsible property management.

But ACORN Hackney says the local authority should go even further, rolling out property licences across the whole of the borough.

“Illegal activity by landlords is rife at the minute,” said James Maloy, Hackney ACORN branch secretary. “Councils do have the powers to take action against bad landlords, but they’re not currently using them.”

“There is a big gap between the number of landlords committing illegal acts and the actual number of prosecutions,” he added.

ACORN Hackney also called on Cllr Sem Moema, deputy cabinet member for private renting, to meet with them to discuss how Hackney can implement a “zero tolerance approach” to bad landlords.

Cllr Moema told the press: “In January, we approved a private sector housing strategy that sets out how we will use every power we have to raise standards of accommodation, challenge rogue landlords in the borough and continue to make the case to the government for the protections that Hackney’s private renters deserve, and this week we approved plans to consult on a selective landlord licensing scheme.

“We will be launching the consultation in the coming months and want to hear from both renters and landlords on the proposals.”

The council is proposing a fee of £925 for standard licences in 17 of the borough’s 21 wards. HMO landlords will have to pay a £1,400 licensing fee.