Mayor calls for action over 'beds in sheds'

Boris Johnson has called on local councils to do more to tackle the growing problem of “beds in sheds” and slum housing, warning that people will die unless action is taken.

The Mayor spoke out after two men were injured in a fire at the illegally converted single room garage where they were living with at least three other people in Thornton Heath.

London Fire Brigade said the blaze highlighted the growing problem of beds in sheds and warned that crews are having to risk their lives to save people from shoddy housing.

The Mayor said: “Dodgy landlords who rip people off by offering squalid and dangerous accommodation at sky-high rents must be dealt with using the full force of the law. They blight communities and the reputation of responsible landlords and failure to crack down on them will only lead to further tragic loss of life.

“So called ‘beds in sheds’ are illegal and while some boroughs are taking a really proactive approach in dealing with the issue, it’s clear that others need to raise their game.”

Thousands of people in the capital are living in illegally converted garages and shanty-style buildings — with sometimes fatal results. On the Thornton Heath case, a spokesman for Croydon council said: “The council takes reports of people living in sheds and garages very seriously. We visit homes with multiple tenants and take enforcement action against landlords where the property is unsuitable for living in.”

Newham, Ealing and Brent councils have created squads of investigators to detect illegal housing.

Housing minister Grant Shapps has also launched a national taskforce to tackle the problem, but charity Shelter said today that more needed to be done after an investigation found that complaints against landlords in the capital have soared. More than 18,000 complaints were made to London councils in the past year, a 47 per cent increase since 2009 — but only 113 landlords have been successfully prosecuted.

Shelter chief executive Campbell Robb said: “Every day at Shelter we see the devastating impact these landlords have on people’s health and wellbeing. There could be thousands more victims, trapped in homes that cause misery and, in some cases, put lives at risk.”