Westminster Council ensures privately rented homes are safe

Westminster Council says that "hundreds of privately rented properties in central London have been made safe after more than 1,500 inspections were carried out" last year.

 A total of 1,712  rented properties in the private sector were inspected by Wesminster's residential environmental health officers in 2011/12, resulting in 206 legal notices being served.

Cllr Jonathan Glanz, Westminster City Council's Cabinet Member for Housing, said: 

"Around two in five homes in Westminster make up the private rented sector in the city, making it one of the UK's largest; and so the council rightly takes seriously its responsibility to ensure that action is taken where necessary to ensure that all housing in the sector is of an acceptable standard.

"The majority of landlords in Westminster do provide decent homes, but there are powers in place which we, and other local authorities, can call upon for when landlords renting privately to tenants in their area do not play by the rules."

 "Few seem to know that if you are privately renting in the capital, councils are there to help if your home puts your health at risk."