How many of us are there?
The 2011 Census found 66,169 private renters in the borough – that’s nearly a third of the borough. The current figure is probably higher, considering how much the housing crisis has deepened since then. So it shouldn’t be too hard to find private renters to campaign with. In fact, there’s already at least one group for Camden private renters.
If renting is so bad, why don’t private renters just buy a house?
Because in Camden, the average home costs more than 18 times the average annual income!
Can we get a council house then?
In July 2017, there are 2,930 households currently waiting for a council house. This number was once nearly 25,000, but the council cut the list, as there was no realistic chance that the vast majority of people waiting could be housed by the council in the foreseeable future.
Looks like we’re stuck in the private rented sector then. What’s it going to cost?
Monthly median average rents for Camden, recorded by the Valuation Office Agency, are below. Remember, these figures don’t include fuel or council tax bills:
Room in a shared house: £780
Studio flat: £1,040
One bedroom flat: £1,430
Two bedroom flat: £1,820
Three bedroom flat: £2,503
House with four or more bedrooms: £3,250
That’s a lot. I guess that means a lot of private renters have to claim housing benefit to stay alive then?
Yes – 4,260 private renters in Camden need housing benefit to cover their rent.
And does housing benefit cover it?
No. The Local Housing Allowance (LHA) is the maximum amount of housing benefit you can get, regardless of whether you’re a private renter (renting from a private landlord) or a social renter (renting from the council or a housing association). The monthly LHA in Camden is:
Central London (e.g. Holborn, St Pancras)
Shared Accommodation Rate: £609.35
One Bedroom Rate: £1,129.44
Two Bedrooms Rate: £1,310.10
Three Bedrooms Rate: £1,536
Four Bedrooms Rate: £1,807
Inner North London (e.g. Hampstead, Camden Town)
Shared Accommodation Rate: £436.62
One Bedroom Rate: £1,129.44
Two Bedrooms Rate: £1,310.10
Three Bedrooms Rate: £1,536
Four Bedrooms Rate: £1,807.09
Can I talk to someone at the council about problems with my private landlord?
Yes. Camden Council runs a housing advice service. If you’d prefer to call them, the number is 020 7974 4444. Unlike some London councils, Camden has a specialist team for private renters. They are trained to help if you have received a section 21 Notice or are experiencing illegal eviction or harassment from your landlord.
So Camden still has Tenancy Relations Officers (TROs)?
Camden calls them the Private Sector Sustainment Team, but they have the same function as TROs (for example, tackling private landlords who harass their tenants). The team manager is Harcourt Jones, on 020 7974 8854.
How about the Environmental Health team – do they help private renters?
Yes. Camden is one of the better London councils for this: while some London councils have only a general environmental health team for all types of home, Camden has a large environmental health team dedicated to private renting. They deal with things like damp, mould, infestations and faulty boilers.
Do private landlords in Camden have to get a licence?
All councils have to licence large Houses of Multiple Occupation (large HMOs are currently defined as a house with more than two storeys, or with five or more people living in it). But councils can also choose to licence smaller HMOs, and Camden has recently started to do so. In Camden, any shared home with three or more adults in it, regardless of the number of storeys, now needs a landlord licence. Remember, if your landlord has failed to get a licence, any Section 21 (no-fault eviction notice) you receive is invalid. More info about Camden’s landlord licensing.
Does Camden Council run a non-profit letting agency for private renters?
Some councils are starting to run non-profit letting agencies for private renters. Camden Council runs one called Camden Lettings.
Does Camden council give cash incentives to private landlords just to behave decently?
Unfortunately, yes. The council gives private landlords cash incentives of some £2,500 to £4,000 just to behave decently and make rents affordable to ordinary people – when landlords should be doing that anyway!
Does Camden Council have a Private Rented Sector (PRS) forum, where private renters can discuss ways to make private renting better?
Camden Council is one of only two councils in the whole of London that funds a local private renters’ group, Camden Federation of Private Tenants.
Not many people know that councils have the power to prosecute landlords who break the law. Unfortunately, in the current system it takes lots of time and money to do this using the criminal courts, so some councils don’t do it. Licensing would allow councils to use civil rather than criminal courts, which would make it easier to hold bad landlords to account.
How many criminal landlords has Camden prosecuted in the last five years?
We are currently waiting for an up to date figure from the council, but it should be quite a lot as we do know that Camden Council prosecuted 20 between 2011 and 2014 .
Camden even fined one of its own Conservative Councillors in 2016 for being a shoddy landlord!
What else do I need to know?
Camden Council administers the London Landlord Accreditation Scheme (LLAS). LLAS is a partnership of London boroughs, landlord organisations and educational organisations to recognise good practice and improve conditions in the private rented sector.
http://www.londonlandlords.org.uk/
Camden is also one of six councils contributing to the building of the London Mayor’s new “name and shame” database of criminal private landlords that will be hosted on his website. We should be able to see the database from Autumn 2017.
Who else should I talk to about making private renting fairer in Camden?
Every council is divided between Councillors, who are elected politicians, and non-political officers, who are appointed to do a particular job. In Camden, these people might be useful to talk to:
Councillor Patricia Callaghan
Cabinet Member for Housing