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The largest landlord at the House of Commons, Labour MP Jas Athwal, has fired the agency that manages his rental flats, following revelations of black mould and ant infestations in the properties. Athwal expressed his dismay at the flats’ condition, admitting he was “shocked and sickened”. He added that an agency had been appointed for its quick response times and excellent customer service. The BBC highlighted the dirty communal areas, malfunctioning lights, and fire alarms hanging loose in Mr Athwal’s flats. In one block of seven flats, almost half the tenants reported having to clean mould from their bathroom ceilings regularly.
When the BBC initially approached him last Friday, Athwal claimed that he hadn’t been aware of the problems and defended the letting agency, known locally as “Raymond.” However, later that day, he apologised publicly and promised to carry out repairs to the flats promptly. He also conceded that none of his flats had received the correct property licences required under a scheme he introduced when he was Redbridge Council leader. Now, he says he will replace the management agency within 48 hours and personally apologise to each tenant.
Speaking to Sky News, house of commons leader Lucy Powell noted that Labour would bring a Renters Reform Bill that was “much strengthened” when Parliament returned next week to tackle the scourge of bad landlords. She also understood that Athwal was “furious” at the situation as he “didn’t know this is happening in his housing stock.” Despite calls by some for Athwal to step down as a councillor, Ms Powell stated that he had to put things right. She clarified that she was not defending his actions, explaining that he had sacked the managing agent and had to correct the situation.
In 2018, Athwal shared an article that spoke of a local landlord being fined by the council on his Twitter feed. He said, “Rogue landlords, we are coming for you.” He stood down from his role as council leader following the general election in which he ran on Labour’s 2024 manifesto, which promised to prevent private renters from being exploited and discriminated against
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