ONE of the biggest landlords in Westminster has allegedly been renting out flats with black mould and ant infestations to multiple tenants, according to reports.
The newly elected Labour MP for Ilford South, who Jas Athwal owns 15 rental flats, admitted his properties do not have the correct property licences required under a scheme he introduced as Redbridge Council leader, according to the BBC.
He also apparently told the broadcaster that he had complied with the rules before its investigation.
The broadcaster found that in one block of seven flats owned by Athwal nearly half the tenants said they had to regularly clean their ceilings to remove mould.
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When approached about the living conditions of his tenants the Labour MP said he was "shocked" and "profoundly sorry" to hear of the issues.
He also said he was unaware of the issues due to the properties being managed by an agency and promised to “swiftly” deal with them.
The BBC also reported there was evidence of ant infestations in several properties, as one resident said: “The ants are everywhere.
“They are on my kid’s body and on their clothes.”
Another tenant was apparently threatened with eviction by the letting agency if they were to start complaining about the condition of the flat and was also told they could not claim benefits.
While another resident in the block of flats the Labour MP owns spoke about the troubles of living with black mould as they said: “The whole ceiling would be black if we didn’t clean it every few weeks.”
Some of the residents said both Athwal (below) and the letting agent were slow to reply to any problems raised, with some getting no reply at all.
Athwal, who led Redbridge Council from 2014 until he became an MP last month, shared an article in 2018 about a local landlord being fined by the local authority, as he wrote: “Rogue landlords, we are coming for you.”
According to the NHS mould in homes can lead to respiratory problems, respiratory infections, allergies, asthma and can weaken your immune system if it is left untreated.
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