The woman who lives in a shed: How London landlords are cashing in.

[Ryoko]

Article from the Guardian HERE

I'd just like to say it's all very well and good the councils moaning but what they are going to do other then put people out on the streets?, these people would be homeless or stuck in bedsits and B&Bs for years on end while languishing on the council housing lists.

My former flat was a studio one in a converted Victorian house, 22 flats some with there own shower/toilet others shared one on the ground floor, bed bugs, mice and carpet beetles, faulty fire alarm system that the fire brigade threatened legal action over several times and no lock on the main door, next door to me lived a family of 4 who washed their baby bottles in the communal washing machine, a man died after falling thru the banisters on the 2nd floor when drunk. Yet the council thought the place was fine, they inspected it several times, by the time I moved out about a quarter of the residents where put there by Ealing council while they wanted for a council place.

We need change, I see "Luxury apartments" springing up everywhere, yet years down the line these places still have the sales suite open, I see so called affordable housing being built that isn't affordable for those earning less then 30k a year (the national average is 24k) and even if they could afford them they are unsuitable for a family with young children as they have open plan kitchen and living room areas (what idiots design these things?). We need real affordable homes and a massive increase in council and HA places, we need to shake off the obsession with dolls house style homes and embrace the fact we are a massive city and the only way we can build is up with more high rise buildings.

Surely it's possible to transfer to a different branch if you work in a large organisation like banking? Easily done, and you can look online at different properties to buy or rent in the location up North. Others seem to manage it. Not possible for all jobs, granted, but it can be done. I know a few couples who moved from London up North, and have never looked back. You get more house for your money aswell (if you're lucky enough to buy).

Didn't know about the Olympic stadium being built by migrant workers but not hugely surprised. It had to be done quickly.

"Surely it's possible to transfer to a different branch if you work in a large organisation like banking?"

Lovechoc, do you seriously think that bankers are living in sheds at the bottom of people's gardens?

Nobody is saying that it's impossible for individuals to relocate, that would be absurd. This does not mean that it is the solution to the problem. I am finding it difficult to believe that you cannot understand that.

Its on that article I linked to one of the people mentioned is a Polish Builder working on the site no doubt he's not the only one working on such a prestigious thing and living in a crap hole.

And I think it all depends on your company but what if you don't work for someone with multiple branches or one that really doesn't care, Banks pay good money you'd be less likely to want to move if you worked for a bank then you would if you worked for someone like Tesco and I doubt many of those NMW companies would be willing to help people transfer.

Hello

I am not saying that anyone is stupid but i think that it is difficult for people outside London to appreciate how big it is - 609sq miles. It is divided into 6 travel zones. One being central London (think Big Ben, Buck House etc), two is Clapham Common then out to Croydon (Zone six). Sorry i am a South Londoner so can only think south of the river.

We, DH, DS and I, live in Zone 3 which is 10 to 15 mins from London Bridge (Zone 1) and rent a two bedroom ground floor flat privately for £1000 which is average. We then have to pay for all utilities etc. BTW travel costs for zone 1 -3 weekly travelcard (for all public transport including tube in rush hour) is £34.20.

I know a young couple with a baby who are not entitled to benefits and they live in one of those converted garage type things as it is all they can afford - it costs them £650 a month all bills included. He earns £1200 - they still can't afford better.

I had been feeling a bit sorry for myself today but I am profoundly shocked by that article. :(

Tethersend there isn't a solution to the problem though is there? That's my point!! I wouldn't be suggesting relocation if there was another way...but I do understand those on NMW probably could not relocate so easily. Fair do's.

It's a tough one. I am not familiar with London at all. Hard to believe times have come to this though. We're meant to be a rich nation!

Crappy housing is always with us. This does explain some of the economics that has baffled me about London - I did wonder where all the vast numbers of people doing NMW jobs lived given the level of official rents - clearly nothing legal was manageable on NMW, housing benefit isn't always available to immigrants and council housing is ludicrously under supplied. These are the answer to that question.

I think the only action open to the government is to step up their slow efforts to move as many jobs as possible outside the South East - following on from the DVLA, the Patent Office, as many tax inspectors as possible, and of course the BBC. And bribe businesses to move jobs and head offices out. If you move a critical mass out then the NMW jobs which support them will follow.

I love London, which is just as well, because DH and I wouldn't have a cat's chance of getting jobs anywhere else.

'MrsPear Tue 15-May-12 16:59:34

I know a young couple with a baby who are not entitled to benefits and they live in one of those converted garage type things as it is all they can afford - it costs them £650 a month all bills included. He earns £1200 - they still can't afford better'

This is our reality - except baby is now 2 almost 3, we live in a bedsit and dh is older

And RYOKO

I agree Ryoko. I have experience of people living in the conditions you describe. I worked in Social Services in London since the 90's. I was really hopeful that things would get better when Labour came in in 1997. Unfortunately the increase in immigration just compounded and increased the problem. If the politicians saw what I saw they would've have stopped immigration for pretty much everyone unless they had very special skills. I've seen people living in cupboards under the stairs, sleeping on mattresses in a living room, in garages, in an inflatable baby pool. It was awful. I'm glad I don't work in London anymore. If I hadn't seen this myself I would not believe it is happening in this country. The waiting lists are huge, ten of thousands in each London Borough, the councils don't like to say immigration is the problem, building more houses is a red herring, we actually need 5 million new homes in this country. All the politicians bury their heads in the sand because they don't want to appear racist. Idiots the lots of them.

ohanotherone nice to see someone who's had first hand experience of seeing these types of conditions put their view across on this thread. I personally think immigration is what's causing all this grief. And lack of social housing (as we all know). Politicians never listen though, this is the real problem.

The building regulation system in this country is hugely lacking. It's largely voluntary whether or not developments are signed off. If you don't tell the council, they won't know and there are so many cowboy builders out there prepared to build anything, this is a recipe for disaster.

Following the horror of the family that recently were wiped out in a fire, I think it would be a good idea for councils and fire officers to inspect every property to ensure that they adhere to building and particularly fire regulations. They should have right to access properties.

The liberals / libertarians wouldn't like it, and as with similar ideas such as ID cards would put a stop to something that could save lives simply because it goes against their ideology.

But in the case of the young men working to send money home, surely they will continue to look for the cheapest/ share with others? If the driving force is to live here as cheaply as possible, you don't want to e forced to pay more for more space. How can you combat people wanting to save as much as possible?

prematurelyairconditioned I agree that jobs should move out from London. Ironically it was Red Ken that was behind much of this because of his insistence that London should remain the money capital of the world. The labour government allowed this to happen too easily, focussing on London's growth rather than national growth. I think Boris is a little more practical about it and prepared to let things go. How is it that tories are sometimes less 'market' obsessed than labour?

i love London too but other places might appeal to me more if they had more resources and commercial activity.

Most of my clients were immigrants. It used to break my heart when an person/family in an awful situation would ask when they were going to get decent housing. I found it difficult to explain that the chances of getting their own home was pretty much zero. They couldn't understand why a rich country like the UK didn't have a house for them. Many of these people presenting to Housing and Social Services have complex needs are on benefits, they will say that they came to this country because of the health system and for a better life. Their individual cases are heartbreaking but is it right that our system allows this to happen and then vile landlords exploit them. What can a local council really do? I challenge anyone here who disagrees with me to spend two months working in front line housing for Ealing council. Even the most pro immigration person would say that the system is beyond breaking point.

The only difference between an immigrant and a British worker is that the immigrant spends less on themselves and sends money out of the country - hence they put up with worse housing. If their families were settled here they wouldn't be as prepared to live in such squalor.

The people mentioned in the Guardian article are illegal immigrants - a different kettle of fish altogether. They are the dispossessed and need the Home Office to pull their finger out and get them on plane back home.

I think a few things are not going right, most of them have been posted already

• there are no minimum standards for property developers (bedroom sizes, etc)
• instead of people building their own homes (as it is done in europe) property developers sit on the land and only build to make a profit
• I think council housing is wrong, wouldn't it be better to abolish that completely and just pay housing benefit, maybe give landlords tax relief.
• no real protection for people who rent, there is a massive need for proper regulation and minimum standard for properties
• clamp down on illegal and ruthless landlords/letting agencies, there is so much wrong that I don't know where to begin.

Yes I live in Ealing and there are alot of 'shacks' for rent....amongst some very large expensive housing as well. I love, love, love the area but as we need a bigger place and with rents rising rapidly, think we will need to look further afield. However higher rents in London are linked to areas with good schools...so the constant debate with us is to move to a not as nice area in a bigger property with a not as good school or to stay put in a nice area with great schools and live in a 1-bed shoe box with our DD.

oh yes, schools is another point.

why can't all schools be good (or at least not so bad that you wouldn't want to send your child there).
that would relieve a lot of tension in the property market.

4goingon Although it kills me to say it, I would go the shoe-box route - particularly if you're working full time (and do not have to spend too much time in said shoe-box).

Horsetowater - even if their families were here, in London I am not sure what family accomodation they could afford. I suspect that a fair number of these immigrant workers are not paid NMW.

I'll vote mousymouse in for Minister for Housing!

Chaz - if they're legal they have the right to claim NMW - another argument about stricter regulations on employers is to be though. As I mentioned before, ID cards would have solved a lot of these problems - this country is open to fraud and it's hard for immigration and regulators to find proof of illegal entry or false ID. Bloody liberals.

The regulations on employers are fairly strict. You need to check employment status by seeing a passport or similar and keep a photocopy. However, I am sure loads of employers ignore it and dont get caught.

Indeed Wasabi, and then one wonders what the point of regulation is in the first place if so many people get round it?