Keir Starmer described the circumstances as “unacceptable” and condemned a Labour MP for reportedly renting out apartments with black mould and ant infestations.
Following a BBC investigation in which many tenants of Jas Athwal, the MP for Ilford South, expressed discontent with the condition of the homes they rented from him, the prime minister responded to the allegations against him on Monday. Ants were “everywhere,” according to one, and they were “on my kid’s body and on their clothes.”
The government is poised to implement a renters’ rights law that will tighten tenant protections, making the claims particularly harmful to Labour. Tenants’ rights groups are demanding Athwal to resign, claiming he may have broken the law when he told the BBC he did not rent to anybody getting housing subsidies.
When questioned about the claims on Monday, Starmer said, “It’s not good enough.” It is unacceptable for any landlord, and I will say so openly. It is terrible, regardless of who is doing it, including a Labour MP.
In this case, the Member of Parliament has identified the problem and is working to remedy it. I’m not going to pretend to you or anyone else that this is acceptable in any way, but the sooner we get it done, the better.
When questioned why Athwal had not been disciplined and if he would be if things did not improve quickly, Starmer replied, “It has to be put right.” He is acting to make things right, so we must act quickly to accomplish this.
Athwal is the House of Commons’ largest landlord, with fifteen units. Last week, the BBC reported that a handful of households claimed they had to scrape their bathroom ceilings once a week to remove mould. “If we didn’t clean it every few weeks, the whole ceiling would be black,” someone told me.
A broadcaster’s correspondent claimed to have seen evidence of ant infestations in multiple homes. According to the BBC, there were filthy public rooms, broken lights, fire alarms hanging from the ceiling, and a dumped washing machine near a flight of stairs.
In response, Athwal stated, “I take great pride in being a good landlord; we have never had a tenant evicted.” As recently as two weeks ago, residences were renovated and repaired. Rents are kept below market rates and, in many cases, locked at the initial agreed-upon fee to ensure tenants have a safe, long-term domicile.
The Member of Parliament admitted that, in accordance with a plan he suggested when leading Redbridge Council, his properties lacked the required licences. Later, after sacking his lettings agent, he issued a second statement in which he apologised for all of his tenants’ negative experiences and stated, “I am shocked and sickened by the series of problems that have come to light.”
“Loose fire alarms, ants, black mould, and threats of eviction for tenants who dared to complain—the appalling conditions experienced by Jas Athwal’s tenants are all too common for renters across the country,” said Tom Darling, director of the Renters’ Reform Coalition.
“Anyone, much alone a sitting Member of Parliament, should never be permitted to give this kind of housing. To address reckless landlords and the rental crisis, we require immediate and thorough laws.
Athwal is still a council member in Redbridge, and the London Renters Union has written to the council, requesting that it investigate possible housing law violations involving Athwal.
In his first statement to the BBC, Athwal indicated that he did not rent to renters receiving housing assistance in order to prevent a conflict of interest with his previous position as council leader. However, the LRU, which represents over 7,000 tenants, raised this with the organisation.
A district judge ruled in 2020 that a landlord who refused to rent to renters receiving housing subsidies had violated the Equality Act, which Labour had introduced in 2010.
According to a spokesperson for the LRU, “it is obvious that someone who discriminates against recipients of benefits and endangers their tenants by disobeying housing safety regulations is not deserving of the position of Member of Parliament.””