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The council which has been the first in the country to force all private landlords to join a mandatory licensing scheme says it has so far registered 15,000 landlords and 28,500 properties.
Newham Council in London expects about 35,000 properties, or one-third of all homes in its area, to eventually fall into the licensing remit.
It has also shut down more than 500 ‘beds in sheds’ type of accommodation.
Mayor of Newham Sir Robin Wales, giving evidence to the Communities and Local Government committee currently looking into the private rented sector, said that voluntary licensing does not work.
He said: “We know voluntary accreditation does not work because we have tried it.”
He added: “We are discovering quite a lot of what we think is fraud going on. The scale of what we’re finding is very surprising.”
The CLG committee is looking into all aspects of the private rented sector, including rent controls and licensing of landlords and agents. It is chaired by the Labour MP Clive Betts.
