SAFER COMMUNITIES
Making it
a better
place to
rent
Ealing Council is helping to improve conditions in local, privately rented homes –
and the borough has the highest number of ‘accredited’ landlords in London.
I
ndeed, around 830 of Ealing’s
private landlords are accredited with
the London Landlord Accreditation
Scheme (LLAS). The LLAS asks that
landlords comply with a code of conduct
and fulfil a fit and proper person
requirement. It also provides training
and development for landlords.
Most of the borough’s landlords
and their tenants are responsible and
considerate. However, with around
36,000 homes in the borough’s private
rented sector there will inevitably be
some who fall short of the mark. Council
officers are on constant lookout for
problems such as dilapidated homes,
overcrowding, domestic noise, unkempt
gardens and fly-tipping, which can
cause nuisance and distress for tenants,
neighbours and the local community.
Kingdom Houses is an Ealing-based
landlord which believes accreditation is
a benefit to both landlord and tenant.
Dawid Joubert, of Kingdom Houses,
said: “We were very pleased with
the professionalism of the London
Landlord Accreditation scheme
and the operators who ran it. They
provided theoretical knowledge,
practical guides, and referenced
actual court cases to back up their
advice. In addition, they provided
me with a complete checklist on how
to make sure that, as a landlord, I
provide tenants with every single
thing they need to enjoy the property
whilst covering myself legally. It also
benefited our tenants by putting their
minds at ease knowing that we are
looking out for them.”
Council officers also advise landlords
on works needed to address issues such
as damp, mould, water leaks, electrical
defects, dangerous staircases, fire
safety, blocked drains and structural
defects. Landlords are then expected
to bring their properties up to
standard.
Dawid Joubert of Kingdom Houses: ‘They provided me with a complete checklist on how
to make sure that, as a landlord, I provide tenants with every single thing they need’
16
around ealing
Summer 2016