Council and police raid 25 properties in two weeks in rogue landlord crackdown

Four previously unknown criminal landlords, two cannabis factories and an illegal restaurant conversion were among discoveries made by Lewisham council officers in raids on rogue landlords.

Officers, police and utility suppliers raided 25 properties in two weeks, finding the four landlords, all of whom were involved in high level tax evasion, with at least 50 properties between them.

They also found three unauthorised structures, now due to be demolished, an outbuilding illegally in residential use and an illegal conversion of a boarded-up restaurant into six substandard ‘studio’ flats.

There were also five unlicensed houses in multiple occupations, one of which was severely overcrowded with 29 people in a three-bedroom property.

The two cannabis factories were running on stolen electricity, posing serious fire risks, the council said.