Key Points:
- Hackney’s Green councillors criticise Labour-run Town Hall for delays in implementing borough-wide landlord licensing.
- Selective licensing would require all private landlords to obtain a permit to rent properties.
- Greens propose an October 1 deadline, claiming it could generate £1 million for the council.
- Labour and Conservative councillors reject Green Party budget amendment to speed up implementation.
- Council’s finance officers warn of a “tight timescale” for the proposed rollout.
- Former mayor Philip Glanville and Cllr Sem Moema had pledged to introduce the scheme by 2024.
- Current council strategy includes landlord accreditation incentives, drawing criticism from Green councillors.
- 19-year-old Hackney resident calls for stronger tenant protections.
- Controversy follows a £263,000 payout ordered for tenants of unlicensed HMOs owned by billionaire landlord John Christodoulou.
Hackney’s Green Party councillors have accused the Labour-run Town Hall of failing to deliver on its promise to strengthen regulations for private landlords. The Greens argue that thousands of renters remain without necessary protections due to delays in implementing borough-wide selective licensing.
Selective licensing, a scheme intended to require all landlords in Hackney to obtain permits before renting properties, was originally pledged by former mayor Philip Glanville and Cllr Sem Moema in 2022, with an expected implementation date in 2024.
Co-leader of the Hackney Greens, Zoë Garbett, stated: “After two years of promises, renters are still waiting for basic protections. The council must act now.”
What is the proposed solution?
The Green Party is calling for the introduction of the licensing scheme by 1 October 2025, arguing that it could generate £1 million in revenue for the local authority. However, their budget amendment, which sought to accelerate the rollout, was rejected by Labour and Conservative councillors.
Hackney’s finance officers have warned that meeting the October deadline would be difficult, citing a “tight timescale for delivery” and potential delays in achieving the projected financial returns.
How has the council responded?
Cllr Sem Moema, Hackney’s mayoral adviser for private renting, reassured residents in January that plans to expand landlord licensing would be brought forward “in due course.” The council’s current private sector housing strategy, which is under consultation, includes initiatives to improve landlord and tenant awareness and provide incentives for good practice.
One proposal includes offering licensing discounts to landlords who attend Landlord Forum events and join the London Landlords Accreditation Scheme. However, this has sparked further criticism from the Greens, who argue that subsidising landlords while public services face cuts is unjustifiable.
What do Hackney residents say?
The delay has frustrated tenants, including 19-year-old Dylan Law, who condemned Labour’s inaction, stating: “Labour keeps promising [licensing] ‘is on the way’ on repeat. Renters can’t feel secure until we have strong protections. If anybody needs a discount, it’s not landlords – it’s renters.”
Law previously criticised the council’s budget cuts in February, calling for greater investment in renter protections.
What happened in the recent rogue landlord case?
The debate over landlord regulation has intensified following a high-profile tribunal case in Hackney. Billionaire property owner John Christodoulou was ordered to pay £263,000 in compensation to tenants after being found guilty of operating unlicensed houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) in Stoke Newington.
The case, brought by the London Renters Union, highlighted serious safety breaches, with tenants left vulnerable to fire hazards and substandard living conditions.
Cllr Garbett praised the affected tenants for taking legal action but criticised the council’s failure to prevent the situation: “We applaud the tenants for seeking justice and winning this fight. But it shouldn’t have gotten to this. Tenants have lives to live and have the right to live in a decent, secure, affordable home without having to go to court.”
Hackney Council has been approached for comment but has yet to respond.
