Housing enforcement offers from Newham council have discovered a staggering 26 people living in just one three-bedroom East London home, a find which could cause significant legal troubles for the landlords.
Authorities are calling the cramped living conditions “one of the most extreme examples of illegal overcrowding seen in recent years”.
The council discovered 25 adults and one child residing in the home designed for seven people after officers paid a visit following complaints of litter and loud music.
The residents came from three or four different families and at least seven of the residents were found living in the property’s cellar, which could only be reached by concrete steps from the back garden. The cellar was windowless, had duct tape covering up the ventilator and the internal door to the house was locked.
Officials are also making investigations into a series of building and electrical hazards, a broken toilet and furniture, as well as licensing condition breaches. Newham Council confirmed it will prosecute the landlord who had previously received an order of enforcement for a breach of planning permission.
Illegal overcrowding is proving to be an issue in London and has mainly been caused by affordable housing shortages, high rents, migration and increasing property prices.
Newham Council stated they carried out the raid as part of an ongoing campaign against rogue landlords, and referred to the overcrowding of 26 people as “the biggest we have seen in a while”.
The current tenants will not be required to leave the house immediately, but will become homeless after the landlord responds to the council’s demands.