Lucy Powell challenged on 'hypocrisy’ after Labour MP found renting out properties infested with ants and mould
1 September 2024, 11:45 | Updated: 1 September 2024, 12:59
Lucy Powell has been challenged by LBC's Lewis Goodall over the "hypocrisy" over the "infested flats" situation.
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An investigation found Jas Athwal MP has been renting out properties infested with ants and ridden with black mould, according to reports.
The 15 rental flats he own owns makes the newly-elected MP for Ilford South the biggest landlord in the House of Commons.
Nearly half of the tenants living in one block of seven flats owned by Mr Athwal have claimed they had to clean their bathroom ceilings on a regular basis to remove mould, the BBC reported.
Goodall said: "He was literally on the council and introduced a set of standards that all Buy-To-Let landlords in his council had to obey. He himself did not obey it.
"Do you not think that is the height of hypocrisy?
"If this were the Conservative Party you'd be absolutely slamming this guy."
Lewis challenges Lucy Powell over fellow MP's 'infested flats' saga
Ms Powell said it is “absolutely not okay” and that the Labour Party does not tolerate standards like that.
She added the party stands firmly behind the rights of tenants and renters in the private sectors and that landlords are being "put on watch".
She also said: “I'll take at face value what he said, and he's gotta put that right because it's completely unacceptable that people in a private rented sector should be living with infestation, should be living with mould and should be living with poor quality housing.
“That's why we've got a big renters reform bill coming very soon to Parliament.
"It's a significantly strengthened set of measures probably the once in a generation opportunity to really strengthen the rights of tenants in the private rented sector and that's gonna be around security of tenure, that's going to be around the standards and making sure that infestations and mould there's a legal obligation to remove those, the ending of no fault evictions and the ending of the sort of bidding wars where price hikes come and people don't feel they can make complaints because otherwise they're going to get evicted.
“This is going to be a huge piece of legislation which every Labour MP will be supporting when it goes through Parliament.”
The investigation also found evidence of ant infestations in a number of the seven properties with one resident saying: “The ants are everywhere. They are on my kid’s body and on their clothes.
"The Labour MP has also admitted that his properties do not have the necessary property licences to comply with a scheme that he had introduced when leader of Redbridge Council after previously claiming he was in line with the rules.
Mr Athwal promised the issues will be resolved “swiftly” and said he was "profoundly sorry" after claiming he was "shocked" to hear of residents' issues.He said he had not been aware of the problems due to the properties being managed by an agency.
One resident claimed the letting agency had threatened to evict them if they complained about issues in their property or started claiming benefits.
In 2018, Mr Athwal shared an article about a local landlord being fined by the council, saying: "Rogue landlords, we are coming for you."
The BBC found the communal areas of the flats, which are above an empty shop in Ilford, to be dirty and the lights did not work while fire alarms were hanging loose from the ceiling.
One resident reportedly said: "The whole ceiling would be black if we didn’t clean it every few weeks.
”Many of the residents spoken to wished to remain anonymous over fears of being evicted, with one saying: "Please don’t use my name. Finding a new flat is very difficult."
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