Council Urges Ban On Housing Benefit Being Paid To Rogue Landlords

A London council that banned a rogue landlord and then directly paid him more than £500,000 in housing benefit has called on the government to legislate to prevent local authorities from making similar payments in the future. Brent made repeated payments of taxpayers’ money to Bernard McGowan, who has a £30m property empire and failed the council’s “fit and proper” test in 2015. The decision against McGowan, who was convicted six times under the Housing Act between 2014 and 2017, meant the landlord was barred from directly renting out houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) across Brent, or any sort of home in eight of the borough’s wards where landlords specifically require a licence. Read more on the Guardian website.

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2019/jan/21/council-ban-housing-benefit-rogue-landlords-brent-bernard-mcgowan

New Database Names Private Landlords Convicted Under Housing Act

Private landlords convicted of safety breaches have been named publicly for the first time in a new national database created after the Ministry of Justice disclosed the data following a freedom on information request. The data maps firms convicted of dozens of breaches under the Housing Act 2004. The database, which was compiled by Environmental Health News, provides private renters the first at-a-glance guide to whether landlords and letting agents have been prosecuted in the past. Some of the companies involved have received hundreds of thousands of pounds in public money in the form of housing benefit. Read more on the EHN website.

Council Issues Eviction Warning to Tenants

A London council has warned tenants they face eviction from their homes if family members or visitors to their properties commit crime or anti-social behaviour.  Newham Council, in east London, issued the warning after it served an eviction notice on two tenants following a court conviction for assaulting a council noise officer.  The officer was attacked by the 16-year-old granddaughter of the tenancy holder. The 16-year-old was found guilty of assault.  The council has now served a notice seeking possession of the tenants of both the 16-year-old’s home and the home of her grandparent, and will seek eviction in court.  Read more on Inside Housing.