A one-bedroom rental flat in Bethnal Green has been advertised at £1,400 a month – despite holes in the ceiling, peeling walls, and a kitchen that has nothing beyond a sink.
Photos show rubbish strewn around the floors, while dark stains of what could be damp bloom on the bathroom walls.
“No works part from a clean will be carried out,” reads the agents’ description.
It was advertised to be rented out in an unfurnished state, bagging the landlord £16,800 a year. Since Homes & Property approached Bairstow Eves, the agent, for comment, the listing has been taken down.
Housing campaigners have expressed shock at the condition of the rental property.
“It's outrageous that any renter is forced to hand over half their income for a property in a serious state of disrepair or that lacks basic amenities,” Jae Vail, a spokesperson for the London Renters Union told Homes & Property.
“This has become too common in our wild west renting system. Working class renters who have fewer options disproportionately pay the price. It shouldn't be possible to profit from a home that's not fit to be lived in.”
The east London flat was advertised on Rightmove by the Bow branch of estate agent Bairstow Eves.
Despite the rent being £323 a week, the agents claimed the cost is reflective of the dilapidated state of the property. “The lower price compensates for the state of the flat,” noted the agents’ description.
“It seems the bar that a London property must clear before a letting agent will list it has now fallen to ‘toilet and shower provided’,” said Dan Wilson Craw, deputy chief executive of Generation Rent.
“It’s hard to know who would agree to take it on these terms,” he added. “Unfurnished rentals are not uncommon, but few tenants are expected to provide their own fridge-freezer and cooker. The agents are effectively saying the peeling wallpaper is the tenant’s to fix.”
The description noted that the “flat is suitable for personal decor and refurbishment”, implying the tenants could make improvements themselves — something Wilson Craw says is exploitative under the current conditions.
“Even if the rent was low enough, taking on this property would be a big commitment and tenants would want to be confident about staying put for several years,” he explains.
“But because the tenancy is for a maximum of two years, as soon as you’ve poured all your effort into making it habitable you’ll be kicked out.”
Rents in London have broken all records, with the average rental asking price now at £2,661. Rents rose another four per cent despite a 16 per cent fall in demand, according to the latest Rightmove data.
A Renters Reform Bill has been promised in the new Labour government’s opening weeks in office. Greater protections for renters and the end of no-fault evictions are due to be included int he legislation, but more details are unlikely to be known until October.
“We need the government to make sure that the Renters Rights Bill prevents exploitative practices like this and gives councils the resources they need to enforce basic standards so that everyone has a safe place to call home,” said Vail.
Bairstow Eves is part of Countrywide, the largest estate agency network in the UK.
A Countrywide spokesperson said the listing is under review.
