Renting: Landlord vs. Electoral Roll

Retired_Mortgage_Adviser

@Pine25 Which London borough if you don't mind sharing that? Plenty of boroughs have licensing schemes in place which require Additional HMO license for "small HMOs" (3 or more forming 2 or more households), which this property appears to meet. The landlord registers are public and you can search for the property on the council website.

In your place, I would move out at the end of the contract and report the landlord to the council (if it operates a licensing scheme). You can do it anonymously if you so wish. London councils with licensing schemes are awash with ringfenced funds which can only be used for such purposes and (the ones I'm aware of in East London) will do all they can. 

Or at least you can use the above threat if/when he tries to hold on to your deposit for "damages", etc.

NewShadow

Retired_Mortgage_Adviser said:

Or at least you can use the above threat if/when he tries to hold on to your deposit for "damages", etc.

And I'm sure a few of us wouldn't mind spending a little while helping you to draft a suitably pointed letter should that be the case...