COMMENT: Help council to drive out bad landlords (From The Oxford Times)

COMMENT: Help council to drive out bad landlords

9:00am Tuesday 4th September 2012 in News

LITTLE wonder young people in this country are obsessed with stepping on to the property ladder when the risk of falling victim to unscrupulous landlords still exists.

As reported today, the spectre of the dodgy landlord is still very prevalent.

But it is still shocking to see the living conditions endured by tenants of Mulazim Hussain and Momodou Chune, who have been fined a total of £7,000.

At Hussain’s house in Howard Street, East Oxford, 10 occupants lived in filthy conditions, with astonishingly, a family of five living in just one room.

At Chune’s property in Cuddesdon Way, Blackbird Leys, the council discovered seven occupants.

What a sad indictment of an industry that has done much in recent years to improve its image.

As Ed Turner, deputy leader of Oxford City Council says: “The majority of landlords do a good professional job, but we know in Oxford there is a minority who let their tenants down badly and sometimes put them in danger.”

It is worth remembering that the council can only act if notified of such blatant abuses, because it can never have eyes everywhere.

And while it may be difficult for tenants to feel confident enough to contact the appropriate authorities, neighbours, friends and colleagues of those forced to live in such appalling conditions certainly can.

So if you know of an individual or family who is suffering at the hands of a dishonest landlord, contact the city council and help put an end to this disgraceful practice.