Sadly, stories of ‘rogue landlords’ are not unusual, with a variety of legislation tripping landlords up all over the UK. An investigation has just named and shamed the UK’s most prosecuted landlord, and the details may surprise you…
You might be expecting a greedy individual showing a devil-may-care attitude to rental rules, or an HMO landlord cramming in too many tenants? The actual culprit – a housing charity in place to help some of societies more vulnerable people!
Bristol-based Alternative Housing received thousands of pounds a year in housing benefits to accommodate vulnerable people, including people battling homelessness and addiction.
Described as a ‘bogus charity’ which has done ‘appalling things to vulnerable people’, Alternative Housing has been convicted of housing offences six times over the past two years, and was fined almost £40,000. The charity received over £320,000 in housing benefit during this time.
There is nothing charitable about what they were doing. They were using charitable status as a cover for commercial activity. In Bristol a large percentage of the private rented sector is looking for young professionals. Those landlords that do take people on benefits have a huge captive market. What we might have once called slum landlords are able to come in and mop people up on benefits because there is not enough affordable homes.
Bristol council’s housing cabinet member, Paul Smith
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