Hackney HMOs twice as dangerous as rest of England, report finds

Hackney Town Hall

Health and safety risks in certain types of shared homes in Hackney are nearly double the national average, a council report has revealed.

A study found that 23 per cent of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) – where a property is rented out to three different households – have ‘serious hazards’.

For the whole of England, the average is 10 per cent.

Under the Housing Act 2004, serious hazards are sorted into categories 1 and 2 – the first indicating ‘serious and immediate threats to health and safety’, the second being less serious but still demanding attention.

The report shows that 15 per cent of private rental properties across the whole of the borough, excluding HMOs, are home to serious hazards.

Cazenove ward has the highest number, with 615 of rented properties flagged for this signficant risk, while Hoxton West has the lowest (98).

Stoke Newington, meanwhile, is one of the most dangerous wards in the borough for renters, with nearly a third (595) of private rentals – including HMOs – marked as having serious hazards.

For the whole of Hackney, two in three (63 per cent) of these dangers in rented homes are related to fire safety.

The report comes ahead of tonight’s cabinet meeting, where councillors are set to discuss plans to make it mandatory for all private landlords to obtain a licence to let out their properties.

The council is proposing a fee of £925 for standard licences, and £1,400 for an ‘additional’ licence that would apply to certain types of HMO.

Having already piloted a more limited licensing policy in certain parts of the borough between 2018 and 2023, the Labour-run administration has pledged to bring in a ‘borough-wide’ version of the scheme.

In 2022, former mayor Philip Glanville and mayoral adviser for private renting, Cllr Sem Moema, committed to applying to introduce the policy within two years.

The Town Hall’s ‘Better Deal for Renters’ campaign in March last year included the pledge to campaign for the scheme in “as many wards as possible”.

Then, in December, the government handed local authorities more powers to introduce landlord licensing by relaxing the rules so councils did not have to seek permission before implementing the policy.

In theory, borough-wide licensing would affect all of Hackney’s private landlords.

However, ‘subject to consultation feedback’, the council is also considering discounts for landlords who are certified by the London Landlord Accreditation Scheme, and whose properties meet energy-efficiency standards.

A report from both Mayor of Hackney, Caroline Woodley, and Cllr Moema, published ahead of tonight’s meeting, stated that if the schemes are implemented, the proposed licensing fees will aim to balance “effective scheme administration with fairness to landlords”.

“By enabling the council to target specific problem areas, licensing can help to enforce the principles of the Renter’s Rights Bill, ensuring landlords meet their responsibilities and tenants live in safe, well-maintained homes,” they added.

Hackney’s Green opposition group recently put pressure on the cabinet to speed up the scheme’s rollout, demanding it be introduced no later than the start of October this year.

Since 2011, Hackney’s private rented sector has grown by 28 per cent, while England’s has nearly doubled.