The London Assembly asked the Mayor today to reconsider his support for statutory measures to improve standards in London's private rented sector.
The Assembly agreed a motion that, at a minimum, London rental properties should be fit for human habitation.
Tom Copley AM, who proposed the motion said:
“Londoners living in privately rented homes not only face difficult conditions, they are also expected to pay sky high rents. The system clearly needs reform yet Boris Johnson has done very little to protect private renters throughout his time as Mayor. Rather than relying on voluntary regulation that has clearly failed to deliver better standards, the Mayor should be lobbying for City Hall to have increased regulatory powers over the private rented sector.”
The full text of the Motion is:
This Assembly notes that complaints against private landlords in London have risen by 47% since 2008[2] and that nearly a third of privately rented homes in London fail to meet the Decent Homes Standard – by far the worst standards of any housing tenure in Greater London[3].
This Assembly therefore regrets the Mayor's failure to give his support to an amendment to the Housing & Planning Bill that would have made it a legal requirement for landlords to ensure that the homes they let out are fit for human habitation.
This Assembly believes that at a minimum, homes should be fit for human habitation. We therefore call on the Mayor to reconsider his opposition to this most basic of requirements and to support statutory measures to improve standards in London's private rented sector.
Notes to editors
- The motion was agreed by 11 votes for, 8 against.
- ‘Rent reform: Making London's private rented sector fit for purpose’, London Assembly Housing and Regeneration Committee, June 2013, p.23.
- Housing in London database, London Data Store.
- Watch the full webcast.
- Tom Copley AM who proposed the motion is available for interviews. Please see contact details below.
- As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.
For media enquiries, please contact Mary Dolan on 020 7983 4603. For out of hours media enquiries, call 020 7983 4000 and ask for the London Assembly duty press officer. Non-media enquiries should be directed to the Public Liaison Unit on 020 7983 4100.