RENTERS in Newham launched a campaign to tackle dangerous housing in the London borough today with a planned protest outside the town hall.

Local members of the London Renters Union (LRU) are calling on the council to invest in housing safety and increase enforcement against private landlords who are letting out dangerous housing so that no-one faces another winter of damp and mould.

By Newham Council’s own estimates, one in five privately rented homes in the area present a serious health hazard: some 8,000 homes.

Yet landlords are still raising rents despite poor conditions, the LRU warns, with median monthly rents hitting £1,550.

Unsafe conditions such as damp and mould are a national problem: Citizens Advice has reported that 2.7 million households face the issue or have excessively cold homes.

And NHS data shows that the service spends an estimated £1.4 billion per year treating patients with housing-related health conditions.

Local authorities have powers to fine landlords who rent out dangerous housing, but the LRU warns that many councils do not use these powers enough.

LRU members are calling on Newham to invest in housing safety by expanding its enforcement team and taking more proactive enforcement action against landlords profiting from of unsafe accommodation.

Newham LRU member Sinthia Arefin said: “I was left with life-altering injuries after a damp roof collapsed on top of me when I was living in temporary accommodation.

“The landlord got away with it, seeing no consequences.

“We just want a safe home where we can live without fear.”