'Tens of thousands' of people living in beds in sheds across the capital, report shows

Police raid an address in Newham where a woman was found living in a shed with her baby
JEREMY SELWYN
Pippa Crerar20 December 2017
WEST END FINAL

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Around 9,000 illegal “beds in sheds” housing tens of thousands of people have sprung up across London over the last five years, a report says today.

London Tories warn the unregistered dwellings provide sub-standard living conditions and conceal illegal immigration, trafficking and benefit fraud.

Their report, Secret Sleepers, claims boroughs are losing £9 million a year in unpaid council tax from rogue landlords who own the properties.

Town halls have urged tougher laws to pursue owners for cramming dozens of people into sheds, garages and makeshift shelters, or illegally sub-letting homes.

London Assembly member Susan Hall claimed Sadiq Khan’s new planning policy, which changes rules to favour housing developments on small sites, could make the problem worse.

The report recommends: 

Town halls set up beds-in-sheds taskforces, bringing together departments such as housing, planning, environment and finance, and monitor and report on detection and enforcement.

Mr Khan publishes a full audit of beds in sheds across London.

City Hall reviews the London Plan to ensure it discourages illegal dwellings.

Ministers consider changing the rule that says that if dwelling has gone undetected for over four years enforcement action cannot be taken to demolish it.

The report identifies almost 6,000 beds in sheds across 20 local authorities. With the remaining 13 included the figure is likely to be about 9,000.

It recommends using heat map technology, which helped identify a potential 6,350 illegal dwellings in Slough.

Ms Hall said: “It is a human issue with a human cost. Immoral rogue landlords are profiting from tenants living in cramped and grotty conditions. This is not a practice we should be allowing in our city.”

Some boroughs try to recover council tax from rogue landlords. Redbridge has raised £33,500 in five years. Others use the Proceeds of Crime Act against landlords who breach rules.

James Murray, the deputy mayor for housing, accused Ms Hall of “headline grabbing”.

He said Mr Khan has “made protecting Londoners from unscrupulous landlords a priority”, including a new “name and shame” list of them.

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