A man who signed up to a £1,000 per month flat that was just 'a room with toilet and wardrobe' and riddled with problems has spoken out. The renter, Mariusz, 39, moved into the home in January having viewed it via Zoom.
Within the first few months he came across multiple problems at the flat, which was in a detached house that had been converted into four separate 'flats'. He said they could barely be described as such and were rooms.
He now says he "wishes he could take back" his decision to move into the property in Brent, London. Mariusz found the flat via an advert on Gumtree. But he was "shocked" when he moved in, reports MyLondon.
He said: "When I first got to the place, the house was dirty and dusty, but (I) assumed it would be cleaned eventually. When I saw the 'flat' though I was shocked. These were just rooms with a bathroom, bed, wardrobe and fridge. To be classified as a flat is crazy.
"There was no furniture in the communal areas and it was one shared kitchen between four of us. My bathroom was tiny and it was clearly not up to standard."
Mariusz was receiving housing benefits at the time, so was required to give his Universal Credit account to the estate agent so it could upload the relevant forms. Out of his monthly allowance, he was paying £996 a month.
He claims one of the most alarming issues was a tenant who moved into the downstairs flat was visually impaired and Mariusz helped him by going to the shop and topping up his electricity for him. When he spoke to the tenant more to find out about his situation he was shocked.
Mariusz told MyLondon: "He told me his rent for his room was £1,280.45 a month. I couldn't believe it. The room wasn't fit for someone with a disability and it was so dangerous. If electricity was cut off, what would he be able to do? He would have been without electricity for a few days if I wasn't there.
"I couldn't believe people can treat others like this. The gentleman was paying £1,280.45 and he was left with £3 for the rest of the month. When he also got to the house, there was no water in his room. He couldn't even shower for around 20 days. I find it so wrong that people can treat people like this."
In a series of emails seen by MyLondon from Mariusz to Blossoms Estates, the agency which lets the property, and Brent Council, he detailed a number of issues. He claimed he found that the dimensions of the room didn't fit the conditions needed to be classified as a house with multiple occupants and reported those concerns to the council.
The property was granted an HMO licence in March 2022. However, Mariusz claims that before then there were already four people in the home.
He said: "I always reported to the council that this house didn't meet the conditions. Inspectors would come round and check the place out and I was sure something would be done. I sent them the floor plan of my room and it was clear that my 'flat' didn't meet the standard. The electrical wires were also left exposed, which was a clear issue, and nothing was done.
"That's why I was so surprised when I saw the licence was granted in March. The only thing I want from the council is to grant the licence to those who deserve it and revoke it for the ones who breach it.
"The Local Housing Allowance sets out the rent that should be paid for the type of accommodation you're in. Why is someone paying £1,200 plus when that's the price for a flat but this was just a room?"
Pictures Mariusz shared with MyLondon show holes in the walls and ceilings and the tap in the kitchen with sediment in it. Mariusz has since moved out and found a new place to live and hopes that by sharing his experience that others might not fall into the same situation.
"Living here during the colder months was very tough. The windows were only single-glazed. It was depressing living here and coming home to my room. The windows were only single-glazed and we were right next to the North Circular (road), so it was unbelievably loud.
"I don't want anybody else to go through this as I think it is so wrong. They were somehow able to classify a room with a toilet as a flat and got away with it. I think the council needs to do better and one person I spoke to tried to suggest I was trying to give the landlord a bad name. The only thing I wanted from the council is to give the licence to those who meet the criteria and revoke it."
A Brent Council spokesperson told MyLondon: "We take robust action against private landlords who are not acting in accordance with the law, to protect tenants in Brent. In this case, council officers have inspected the property four times in the past year, most recently last month.
“The flat is a licensed HMO and our inspectors concluded that the property does comply with regulations, now that the landlord has sorted out the electrical issue the tenant raised. If new concerns have come to light, we always welcome tenants renting in the private sector to contact us.”
MyLondon contacted Blossom Estates for comment but it refused to provide a statement.
