Action Against Rogue Landlords

Action on Rogue Landlords

The Lib Dem campaign to tackle rogue landlords is bearing fruit. North East Lincolnshire Council is now conducting raids on illegal Houses of Multiple Occupancy (HMOs).

Steve and Kay have been on a number of raids. Steve said: "One of the houses that were raided only had two bedrooms but there were eight mattresses in the house, and it is believed that at least 8 individuals were sleeping in the property. These rogue landlords exploit vulnerable people, forcing them to live in sometimes horrific conditions. We will not tolerate people being crammed into unsafe properties putting lives at risk."

In October last year the government passed a law requiring HMO landlords to register with the Council. Unregistered HMOs are breaking the law and could be exploiting their tenants.

Kay added: "As ward councillors, we often receive complaints about issues such as noise and anti-social behaviour. After some investigations, we tend to find that these relate to properties being used as illegal houses of multiple occupation (HMOs). A big issue with illegal HMOs is fire safety - these properties often fail to meet the basic fire safety standards. This means that they are putting adjacent houses at risk, as well as the lives of those who live there."

Steve continued: "The signs tend to be a property with lots of noise, antisocial behaviour and waste issues, and a lot of people coming and going from one property. I would urge residents to report any suspicions they might have to the Council's housing enforcement team (tel: 326296, option 1)."

The Liberal Democrats will continue to push for further action to tackle rogue landlords.