27^th May 2018

London's 33 local authorities have unanimously signed up to Sadiq Khan's mayoral rogue agent and landlord database.

The online database allows private renters to find out if agents and landlords have ever been prosecuted or fined for housing offences. The City of London and the other 32 London councils have pledged to provide information on rogue agents and landlords to the database.

The database has already been supplied with such information from the original 10 London boroughs which will be shortly receiving details from the other 23 councils.

London's 2.4 million private renters will not only be able to search the online tool for 'rogues', it will also allow them to input complaints against agents and landlords for all to see.

Sadiq Khan said: “With all local authorities signed up, we have reached an important milestone in protecting London’s renters.

“The rental market in the capital is difficult enough to navigate without a small minority of rogue operators exploiting their tenants. This tool will empower Londoners to make an informed choice about where to live.”

The rogue database/checker was launched in December with 10 London Authorities signing up to the online tool with the mayor proudly announcing that it was the first of its type for public access.

Besides the general public's information being available, there is also a second database for councils and the London Fire Brigade to share further details regarding the offences.

The brigade’s fire safety assistant commissioner, Dan Daly, said: “Now that all boroughs have signed up, it means every Londoner who rents, wherever they live, will be able to find landlords and letting agents who have been successfully prosecuted or faced civil enforcement for housing offences, including those prosecuted by us for fire safety breaches. It should also act as a deterrent for the small number of dishonest landlords who pose a large risk to their tenants.”

A spokesperson for an industry association in favour of the online tool, said: "We all want to see criminal landlords rooted out of the rental market completely. This will give tenants the support they need to properly distinguish between the majority of law abiding and decent landlords and those landlords who bring the sector into disrepute."

The director of Generation Rent Dan Wilson Craw, believes that as agents and landlords subject potential tenants to supplying references before being agreeing to a tenancy , then why shouldn't they have an equal opportunity in being able to 'judge' their intended agents and landlords?

He said:"Private renters in London will be able to make more informed decisions when moving home through this tool and greater transparency should help to reduce the number of criminals operating in the capital’s rental market. This resource should be should be rolled out nationally to help drive up standards in the private rented sector across the country."

Richard Merrick of PIMS, said: "We can expect the same happening in Greater Manchester and Liverpool very shortly and other cities and regions will follow London's suit, as well as the government's National database.

"In principle this can only be good as it will 'weed out' those few that tarnish our sector, although I am sure there will be some cases of rogue tenants uploading revenge postings, only time will tell."

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