A Labour council housing chief has resigned after failing to safe the required licences for his rental houses within the capital.
Michael Situ has stepped down as Southwark Council’s cupboard member for housing – the identical borough the place chancellor Rachel Reeves beforehand breached renting guidelines – after he admitted that he had not obtained consent to let two properties he owns in Peckham, blaming an error by the letting agent managing them however accepting “full duty for permitting this case to come up”.
Reeves additionally confronted calls to resign final month after making the identical mistake when she set free her household house in Dulwich following Labour’s basic election victory.
Situ mentioned: “In gentle of current media scrutiny of Southwark’s housing licensing scheme, I took it upon myself to evaluate my very own preparations as an proprietor of rental properties within the borough.
“I’ve a contractual association with an area letting agent who handle properties on my behalf which units out that they’re chargeable for letting, licensing and sustaining these houses… it has come to my consideration that regardless of their contractual obligations, the letting agent has allowed these properties to be with out the suitable licences at numerous factors and that the agent’s accounts have fallen into council tax arrears.
“While it is a failure on behalf of my letting agent, these are my properties, and I take full duty for permitting this case to come up. Shifting ahead I’ve ensured that every one obligatory licenses are being sought and that every one obligations on the properties are met.
“As the cupboard member chargeable for council houses within the borough, it’s crucial to take care of belief with our residents and to point out that we imply what we are saying once we are dedicated to tackling the housing disaster.
“We should lead with integrity and never give the impression we’re something apart from decided to enhance housing in our borough. I don’t need my oversight to distract from this essential work and subsequently I’ll resign from Cupboard with quick impact.”
The matter has additionally been referred to the council’s Monitoring Officer for investigation.
Situ was appointed Southwark’s cupboard member for housing simply three months in the past and pledged to make the council’s “Good Landlord Plan” his high precedence.
Nationally, the Labour authorities has confronted a string of housing-related controversies, with Angela Rayner stepping down as Deputy Prime Minister following experiences that she didn’t pay the right stamp responsibility on a flat she purchased in Hove. Rushanara Ali additionally resigned as Homelessness Minister after it emerged she had eliminated tenants from her east London property earlier than growing the lease.
Southwark Liberal Democrat chief Victor Chamberlain mentioned: “That is the second Labour councillor to should resign from the cupboard in lower than six months over Labour’s housing disaster.
“They’ll now be compelled to search out their seventh housing cupboard member in simply six years.
“Labour promised ‘zero tolerance’ for rogue landlords. But when their very own chancellor knowingly didn’t get a licence for greater than a 12 months, that zero tolerance grew to become very forgiving. And now we be taught one of many identical councillors chargeable for implementing these guidelines was additionally a rule breaker.
“Labour have damaged their promise repeatedly. They suppose it’s one rule for them and one other for the remainder of us.”
Calls to behave in opposition to Rachel Reeves rejected by Labour-led Southwark Council
