Rogue landlords are becoming a serious problem in the private rented sector, as highlighted by the Government setting aside £3m to tackle landlords who place tenants in overcrowded or poorly maintained accommodation, according to The Association of Independent Inventory Clerks (AIIC).

Poor living conditions have a significant impact on tenants and AIIC say that there are clusters of very poor quality properties in some communities which when combined with wider problems such as illegal working, anti-social behaviour and illegal immigration enables landlords to take advantage by not maintaining their properties.

Pat Barber, Chair of the AIIC comments: “A small number of rogue landlords are putting lives at risk and causing problems for local communities. Over the last 12 months, we have seen a rise in the number of properties owned by irresponsible landlords. Overcrowding inevitably causes potentially dangerous health and safety issues.

“One recent case involved a three bed-roomed town flat and the landlord had rented the property as a company let, to the owner of a restaurant. In a short space of time no less than 17 people were living there with the landlord’s full knowledge and consent. This only came to light when the letting agent visited the property after a complaint from a neighbour.

“The key problem is that there is a growing shortage of affordable accommodation in parts of the UK and some landlords are exploiting this. Vulnerable and undesirable tenants are often seduced by low-cost rent, with little or no reference checks.”