Wandsworth (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Wandsworth Council launches enforcement against substandard rental homes following the introduction of additional and licensing schemes in 2025.
Serious safety threats have been found during examinations by council casing officers, egging critical action to guard tenants.
More than 3,400 licence operations, including more than 1,900 for fresh licensing and further than 1,500 for licensing, have been submitted to Wandsworth Council since the city-wide trouble began in July 2025.
Further than 110 examinations have been conducted therefore far, and further than 40 court orders compelling landlords to make adaptations in order to misbehave with minimum safety conditions have been issued.
It was discovered that a Putney house meant for three renters lacked essential fire safety equipment, including fire doors and heat alarms, and had a dangerously small bedroom.
A legal notice mandating the installation of compatible fire doors, alarms, and the elimination of impediments to escape routes was issued by the Council. The landlord committed to do all necessary measures to drastically lower the risk of a fire.
There were significant fire escape dangers in a two-story house with a spiral staircase that led to the living room. The council cautioned the landlord that the building might not be considered acceptable for HMO usage unless structural adjustments were made, after consulting with the London Fire Brigade.
Another six-bedroom house had a broken basement door next to utility meters and no fire doors. The council mandated the elimination of impediments to escape routes and the installation of compliant fire doors.
Aydin Dikerdem, Wandsworth Council’s Cabinet member for Housing, said:
“These inspections show why licensing matters. The message is clear: unsafe rentals will not be tolerated. These new landlord licencing schemes give us more robust powers to inspect and intervene in cases where landlords are not living up to their duties, providing renters with more support and protecting their rights.”
Wandsworth Council has stated that they will keep an eye on compliance and conduct follow- up examinations to make sure any corrective conduct clears the necessary conditions.
A forfeiture of over £30,000 or execution in the Adjudicators’ Court may be assessed on landlords and managing agents who operate without the proper license. However, tenants may also be suitable to recover up to 12 months’ worth of rent, If the property is unlicensed.
What evidence does the council need for an enforcement complaint?
Wandsworth Council requires tenants to give specific details in enforcement complaints about unacceptable settlements or licensing breaches, including the property address, landlord/ agent name and contact details, nature of the issue (e.g., missing fire doors, defective admonitions, small apartments), duration of the problem, and any previous dispatches with the landlord.
Anonymous complaints are accepted but detailed information strengthens examinations under fresh/ picky Licensing schemes. Photos, vids, or measures of hazards( e.g., blocked escapes, unsafe staircases) are essential, alongside clones of residency agreements, Gas Safety instruments, EICRs, or substantiation of unlicensed operation.
Witness statements from other tenants or neighbors help corroborate anti-social behaviour or ongoing pitfalls in high- precedence areas like Furzedown or Tooting wards.
