Labour MP defends himself as 'renters champion' after 'poor conditions' found in his properties
Labour MP defends himself as 'renters champion' after 'poor conditions' found in his properties
Jas Athwal, the newly-elected member of parliament for Ilford South, owns 15 rental flats, but some tenants have claimed they have mould and ant infestations.
Jas Athwal, the newly-elected MP for Ilford South, owns 15 rental flats, but some tenants have claimed they regularly have to clean their bathroom ceilings to remove mould.
In an investigation first reported by the BBC, one tenant in a block of seven flats in Seven Kings, Redbridge, said "there are ants everywhere" including on their child's body and clothes.
Responding to the investigation, Mr Athwal said he was "shocked" to hear of the reported condition of his properties, adding that they were managed by an agency which did not communicate any problems back to him.
Formerly the leader of Redbridge Council, Mr Athwal is also required to have a selective property licence in order to rent out the block of seven flats - a system he introduced in 2017 when he was in charge of the council.
It comes after the BBC found the council's public licence register indicated that none of the seven properties had a licence.
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The mold definitely should be fixed.... But are ants not a tennant problem, not a landlord problem?
It really depends. One tenant could have an ant problem because another adjacent tenant is attracting them, which the landlord needs to address. If the structure has decaying wood, that can attract carpenter ants which is a landlord issue. Some ants like humid environments, so a poorly ventilated structure (like one with mold) could be the cause--also the landlord's problem.
In the states, a significant bug infestation of any kind is a landlord problem.