Rogue landlords receive £2.5bn in housing benefit for non-decent homes - new analysis
1 min read
Private landlords renting out substandard homes are being bankrolled by the taxpayer to the tune of £2.5bn a year, it has emerged.
According to the Independent, billions in housing benefit is being dished out to landlords renting out ‘non-decent’ properties, which includes homes that are unsafe, in serious disrepair and infested with vermin.
Commenting on the figures, Shadow Housing Secretary John Healey said: “The number of families renting from a private landlord has soared by more than a million since 2010, but decisions made by Conservative ministers have made it easier for a minority of bad landlords to fleece the system.
“Most landlords provide decent homes that tenants are happy with, but these rogue landlords are ripping off renters and taxpayers alike by making billions from housing benefit on substandard homes.
“Theresa May declared the ‘housing market is broken’, but Tory ministers won’t act to make the market fairer or work better for private renters. After seven years of failure, the Conservatives have no plan to fix the housing crisis.
“The next Labour government would call time on bad landlords and bring in a New Deal for private renters to establish new consumer rights.”
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