How many of us are there?
The 2015 the Office for National Statistics found 115,200– that’s nearly a third of the total population. The current figure is very possibly higher, considering how much the housing has deepened since then.
If renting is so bad, why don’t private renters just buy a house?
Because in Ealing, the average home costs 11.87 times the average income.
Why can’t they get a council house then?
Because there are currently 11, 452 households waiting for a council house in the borough.
Looks like we’re stuck in the private rented sector then. What’s it going to cost?
Monthly average rents for Ealing, recorded by the Valuation Office Agency, are below. Remember, these figures don’t include fuel or council tax bills:
Room in a shared house: £520
Studio flat: £867
One bedroom flat: £1,200
Two-bedroom flat: £1,452
Three-bedroom flat: £1,800
House with four or more bedrooms: £2,500
That’s a lot. I guess that means a lot of private renters have to claim housing benefit to stay alive then?
Yes – 14,304 private renters in Ealing claim 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 Ealing depends on which part of the borough you live in, the rates are:
Inner West London (e.g. Ealing, Acton)
Shared Accommodation Rate: £479
One Bedroom Rate: £1, 053.78
Two Bedrooms Rate: £1,310.10
Three Bedrooms Rate: £1,536
Four Bedrooms Rate: £1,807
North West London (e.g. Northolt)
Shared Accommodation Rate: £378.73
One Bedroom Rate: £191.38
Two Bedrooms Rate: £1,050.10
Three Bedrooms Rate: £1,313
Four Bedrooms Rate: £1,620.67
Outer West London (e.g. Greenford, Southall)
Shared Accommodation Rate:£357.11
One Bedroom Rate:£761.54
Two Bedrooms Rate:£995.15
Three Bedrooms Rate:£1, 180.83
Four Bedrooms Rate:£1,378
Do private landlords in Ealing have to get a licence?
Ealing introduced additional and selective landlord licensing, on 1st January 2017, to help private renters in the borough. Every rented property of two or more floors, shared by four or more people forming two or more households (meaning four people who aren’t members of the same family) but who share cooking facilities, a bathroom or toilet, must be registered with the council by the landlord.
Whether it’s a shared house, a flat or part of a building with mixed commercial and residential use, this type of home is classified as a ‘house in multiple occupation’ or HMO and is subject to licensing, wherever it is located within the London Borough of Ealing. Certain types of buildings converted into self-contained studios and flats are also included in this licensing scheme.
In Acton Central, East Acton, South Acton, Southall Green and Southall Broadway wards, further selective licensing is now in effect. This applies to all privately rented homes, not just HMOs.
You can check whether or not your home has been registered by entering your postcode into this ‘Simple Search‘ tool.
Who can I contact about problems with my private landlord?
You should contact Ealing private renters’ enforcement team, via email.
If you think your property should be licensed and is not, please report it to Ealing Council, here.
If you want to know more, you’ll find full details of additional and selective landlord licensing in Ealing on the Council website, here.
Ealing Council will benefit from the support of all residents to ensure compliance with the new landlord licensing regime. If you share a home with more than three other people, without a copy of the licence from Ealing on display, or if you suspect that there is an unlicensed HMO in your neighbourhood, please get in touch with PRSlicensing@ealing.gov.uk
Does Ealing Council run a PRS forum, where private renters can discuss ways to make private renting in Ealing fairer?
No
How many criminal landlords have been prosecuted by Ealing Council?
We are currently waiting for an exact figure on the number of prosecutions for criminal landlords by Ealing Council, but you can read recent stories of prosecutions here and here
Who else should I talk to about making private renting fairer in Ealing?
Every council is divided between Councillors, who are elected politicians, and non-political officers, who are appointed to do a particular job. In Ealing, this person might be useful to talk to:
Councillor Jasbir Anand
Cabinet Member for Housing, Skills and Employment
07949 202851
jasbir.anand@ealing.gov.uk