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Sadiq Khan Mayor of London
Navin Shah GLA Brent & Harrow
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Mayor’s failing Rental Standard will take 103 years to hit target at current rate

I have questioned London Mayor Boris Johnson’s commitment to private renters in Brent and Harrow after it was revealed that at the current rate of progress it will take him over one hundred years to hit his target of getting 100,000 of the capital’s landlords signed up to minimum standards. Despite promising to hit is target by May 2016, just 627 additional landlords have been accredited since Boris Johnson launched the scheme in late May last year. The Mayor’s failure will leave many of the 100,696 private renters in Brent and 56,931 private renters in Harrow with little protection from bad landlords.

In 2012 Boris Johnson pledged to sign up 100,000 of London’s estimated 300,000 private landlords to a new London Rental Standard (LRS). The scheme, which was eventually launched in late May last year, sets minimum standards for landlords and provides a kite mark for the various voluntary landlord accreditation schemes in London.

A few days after the LRS was launched last May the Mayor reported that there were 13,512 landlords already signed up to the various accreditation schemes. Yet according to the latest City Hall figures, only 627 additional landlords have signed up since then, despite an intensive publicity campaign. At this rate of progress it will take a further 103 years before Boris Johnson hits his target to sign up 100,000 landlords.

With 100,696 private renters in Brent and 56,931 private renters in Harrow now living in private rented housing, it’s staggering that the Mayor can be so brazen about his failure to drive up standards in the sector.  Boris Johnson’s abysmal record is made clear by the fact that with little more than a year to go he has signed up just 14% of the 100,000 landlords he promised by May 2016. 

At the current rate, it will take over one hundred years before the Mayor meets his target to accredit 100,000 landlords.

We need real change in the private rented sector. Londoners need the peace of mind and security of longer tenancy agreements, caps on annual rent increases and an end to no fault evictions. Instead Boris Johnson’s half-hearted approach is failing private renters in Brent and Harrow and leaving them with little protection from bad landlords.

 

ENDS

 

Notes

 

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-       When the LRS was launched in late May 2014 there were 13,512 landlords already signed up to the various accreditation schemes

 

-       The latest figures from the Greater London Authority on the number of landlords accredited under the London Rental Standard can be found here.

 

-       In his 2012 Election Manifesto, Taking Greater London Forward, Boris Johnson pledged that 100,000 of London’s estimated 300,000 private sector landlords would be signed up to a scheme approved by the London Rental Standard by May 2016. (page 11)

 

-       According to Census 2011 figures, there are 819,085 private rental properties in London.

 

-       627 extra landlords have gained accreditation in the eight months between June 2014 and March 2015, equating to a rate of 836 landlords per year. With 85,861 additional landlords needed to meet the Mayor’s target of 100,000 landlords, this would take 102.7 years before the target is met.

 

 

 

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26th March 2015