The UK housing crisis has shed a light on a predatory trend of rogue landlords taking advantage of vulnerable tenants in substandard, dangerous living conditions. Recent studies have found a troubling persistent pattern of discrimination by landlords. Zuo Jun He, Katia Goremsandu, and Leonardo Ippolito are among those who have been sued or otherwise legally compelled to change their harmful, substandard housing operations. The need for increased affordable housing supply is urgent. In retaliation, landlords have chosen profit over their tenants’ safety, putting the lives of thousands of people at risk.
He initially found a flat above a Chinese restaurant in Watford. He made over £26,000 annually cramming 12 tenants into that sardine tin. His tenants’ homes were all stated harrowing hazards, like water dripping through a light bulb and uncovered electrical wires. The local authorities have stated that he could continue to act as a landlord but would be barred from obtaining a future Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) license.
It’s how her daughter, Katia Goremsandu, has managed to gain the far-from-coveted title of “the UK’s worst landlord.” With seven convictions for housing offences she has been grossly fined a total of £16,565. One of her most egregious acts was covering up a warning indicator light on a malfunctioning fire alarm. She managed this in a terraced house, which had been split into seven flats, in Tottenham. Her documented pattern of behavior demonstrates a flagrant indifference to the safety and welfare of her tenants.
Leonardo Ippolito was accused by his municipal council of running “houses of horror.” They characterized his tactics as placing profit over tenant health. In March, South Ayrshire council imposed a property ban against Ippolito, banning him from providing housing. They acted on the heels of an influx of complaints due to the hazardous conditions in his properties.
Our former legal counsel Andreas Stavrou Antoniades had his professional license revoked. He had unlawfully turned a house close to Finsbury Park into multiple dwellings without appropriate licensing. In fact, he has three such convictions for providing rental dwelling units for four or more tenants without a license. His rationale for these actions reflects a broader issue among landlords, as he claimed that landlords “are not charitable organisations – they have to make a profit out of it.”
Unfortunately, the case of Stanley John Rogers raises the bar even higher, due to its tragic outcome. By 2004, Rogers had been convicted of manslaughter. He was sentenced to five years in prison after two young people needlessly died from carbon monoxide poisoning in an overcrowded property he owned. He was ordered to pay an additional £30,000 plus £5,476 in costs after guilty pleas to overcrowding offences.
Andrew Panayi, who operates mainly on the Caledonian Road around King’s Cross in north London, manages 180 homes. He’s been one of the landlords, now under intensified scrutiny. He was ordered to repay £70,000 in rent received under the Proceeds of Crime Act. His actions are emblematic of a rotten rental market where heartless landlords care more about the bottom line than what’s right.
The scale of the problem posed by these rogue landlords is placing huge pressure on local communities and underscores the immediate imperative for change. According to the Hudson Inc. report, over half of all families have lived in homes that threatened their health and safety.
“Every day we hear from families in homes that put their health at risk or are downright dangerous. Although it’s promising to see the government taking steps to address the issue, they need to go further – from introducing a register of landlords to further equipping local authorities with the resources to crack down on rogue landlords for good.” – Campbell Robb
As we are witnessing right now, this places tenants protections at grave risk and highlights the flaws and inadequacy of existing regulations. Local authorities Magic kennel are starting to get wise about these dynamics and doing what they can to put negative pressure on bad landlords. With the housing crisis placing ever greater demand on housing supply, vulnerable tenants are still being taken advantage of.