THE Fife survey exposed the poor treatment of migrant workers by private landlords, with almost half failing to provide tenants with a written lease. Almost 80-per cent of migrant workers interviewed for the survey rented, but according to the results of their interviews only 45-per cent had formal agreements for their properties.
Campaigners say this leaves them vulnerable to exploitation and being thrown on to the street if they cannot fulfil their rent demands.
The practice of some landlords in failing to give contracts to Poles clustered around Glenrothes and Kirkcaldy has alarmed community workers.
One of the areas most concerning community leaders is Keith Court, where smashed bottles, litter and leaking water spills down the stairway and bin bags block corridors. The former council block hit dubious headlines recently as the location of Scotland's cheapest private home at GBP3500.
Housing officials revealed that many migrants are clustered, up to seven people, illegally sharing two-bedroom properties, described as being in "terrible conditions".
Landlords are obliged to register houses where three or more people share a single bathroom or kitchen as houses of multiple occupancy (HMO).
Another council source said: "There are landlords and agents taking advantage of the migrant workers, but many of the workers don't want to cause any problems and if we had more resources, we could uncover the issues and deal with them. They need to know their rights and that they can make complaints about housing.
"There has been an explosion of migrant workers and we have minimal resources working to address this problem. If we don't know problems, we can't track down the rogue landlords." At least one landlord is under investigation by Fife Council's housing department following complaints from Polish migrants.
Andrew Sharp, according to council sources, is a property agent and landlord and has dozens of properties, many of which are home to migrant Poles.
His application to become a registered landlord, a measure that became compulsory in 2006 for anyone in Scotland who rents out private homes, is under investigation by the council.
A Fife Council source said: "Noting we have received complaints about Andrew Sharp, [the application] will not be approved until we have carried out investigations and we are satisfied he is a fit and proper agent and landlord." One former Polish tenant claimed Sharp never provided a written lease and did not make clear that the gas and electricity were not included in the costs.
The migrant, who didn't wish to be identified, said: "I was living in a block of flats and paying GBP480 for my family each month, but the electricity hadn't been paid and it was disconnected along with the gas.
"I didn't have a lease with Andy, and he hadn't made it clear the electricity and gas wasn't included so one day it was cut off. I've now moved out, to another landlord who provides me with a lease." The Pole claimed that during their time at the property three men forced open the door to enter the property when there was no-one at home.
"I just moved out to avoid any more problems, " said the migrant.
Sharp's lifestyle is far removed from some of his tenants. He lives in a detached villa on a gated development in Braemar Gardens, Glenrothes, and drives a Mercedes sports car and Ford Mondeo.
Both have personalised registrations.
One senior community worker, who didn't wish to be named, accused the council of failing to tackle complaints from migrant workers. He said: "We've heard Andy's name over and over again for a year-and-a- half. We've been in a couple of properties he owns, to move people out who had found somewhere else and the area was horrific.
"He's made a lot of money recently, but he is not the only one. These properties are picked up cheaply, and if you have three Polish people paying GBP150 a week in 50 flats, it's quite a turnover.
"Something needs to be done. It's been about a year since we alerted the council to these people. Other problems include companies taking rent from wages for substandard accommodation, effectively creating 'tied housing'." In Angus, where 4000 migrants work, the council has written to the Scottish government requesting it lifts a 1960 law which exempts local authorities from making safety checks after Czech fruit picker Petr Adamnik, 28, died in a fire at an unlicensed caravan site for migrants near Arbroath, last April.
Officers from the government's Housing Registration Directorate now plan to visit the sites and have held discussions with the council over the issue.
Cosla, the umbrella body for local authorities, described the behaviour of private landlords towards migrant workers as a "growing problem", and it was aware of "overcrowded, damp and dangerous" accommodation. A spokesman added: "This is extremely bad practice by private sector landlords. They know that most migrant workers don't have legal rights of access to local authority housing or homelessness services and therefore turn to the private sector." Sharp was reluctant to discuss the allegations that he is being investigated by Fife Council. When confronted by the Sunday Herald, he said he was a registered landlord and would provide migrants with leases "if they want them".
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4156/is_20080210/ai_n21303914
Scandal of rogue landlords ripping off migrants
Feb 10, 2008
THE Fife survey exposed the poor
treatment of migrant workers by private landlords, with almost half
failing to provide tenants with a written lease. Almost 80-per cent of
migrant workers interviewed for the survey rented, but according to the
results of their interviews only 45-per cent had formal agreements for
their properties.
Campaigners say this leaves them vulnerable to exploitation and
being thrown on to the street if they cannot fulfil their rent demands.
The practice of some landlords in failing to give contracts to
Poles clustered around Glenrothes and Kirkcaldy has alarmed community
workers.
One of the areas most concerning community leaders is Keith
Court, where smashed bottles, litter and leaking water spills down the
stairway and bin bags block corridors. The former council block hit
dubious headlines recently as the location of Scotland's cheapest
private home at GBP3500.
Housing officials revealed that many migrants are clustered, up to
seven people, illegally sharing two-bedroom properties, described as
being in "terrible conditions".
Landlords are obliged to register houses where three or more people
share a single bathroom or kitchen as houses of multiple occupancy
(HMO).
Another council source said: "There are landlords and agents taking
advantage of the migrant workers, but many of the workers don't want to
cause any problems and if we had more resources, we could uncover the
issues and deal with them. They need to know their rights and that they
can make complaints about housing.
"There has been an explosion of migrant workers and we have minimal
resources working to address this problem. If we don't know problems,
we can't track down the rogue landlords." At least one landlord is
under investigation by Fife Council's housing department following
complaints from Polish migrants.
Andrew Sharp, according to council sources, is a property agent and
landlord and has dozens of properties, many of which are home to
migrant Poles.
His application to become a registered landlord, a measure that
became compulsory in 2006 for anyone in Scotland who rents out private
homes, is under investigation by the council.
A Fife Council source said: "Noting we have received complaints
about Andrew Sharp, [the application] will not be approved until we
have carried out investigations and we are satisfied he is a fit and
proper agent and landlord." One former Polish tenant claimed Sharp
never provided a written lease and did not make clear that the gas and
electricity were not included in the costs.
The migrant, who didn't wish to be identified, said: "I was living
in a block of flats and paying GBP480 for my family each month, but the
electricity hadn't been paid and it was disconnected along with the gas.
"I didn't have a lease with Andy, and he hadn't made it clear the
electricity and gas wasn't included so one day it was cut off. I've now
moved out, to another landlord who provides me with a lease." The Pole
claimed that during their time at the property three men forced open
the door to enter the property when there was no-one at home.
"I just moved out to avoid any more problems, " said the migrant.
Sharp's lifestyle is far removed from some of his tenants. He lives
in a detached villa on a gated development in Braemar Gardens,
Glenrothes, and drives a Mercedes sports car and Ford Mondeo.
Both have personalised registrations.
One senior community worker, who didn't wish to be named, accused
the council of failing to tackle complaints from migrant workers. He
said: "We've heard Andy's name over and over again for a year-and-a-
half. We've been in a couple of properties he owns, to move people out
who had found somewhere else and the area was horrific.
"He's made a lot of money recently, but he is not the only one.
These properties are picked up cheaply, and if you have three Polish
people paying GBP150 a week in 50 flats, it's quite a turnover.
"Something needs to be done. It's been about a year since we
alerted the council to these people. Other problems include companies
taking rent from wages for substandard accommodation, effectively
creating 'tied housing'." In Angus, where 4000 migrants work, the
council has written to the Scottish government requesting it lifts a
1960 law which exempts local authorities from making safety checks
after Czech fruit picker Petr Adamnik, 28, died in a fire at an
unlicensed caravan site for migrants near Arbroath, last April.
Officers from the government's Housing Registration Directorate now
plan to visit the sites and have held discussions with the council over
the issue.
Cosla, the umbrella body for local authorities, described the
behaviour of private landlords towards migrant workers as a "growing
problem", and it was aware of "overcrowded, damp and dangerous"
accommodation. A spokesman added: "This is extremely bad practice by
private sector landlords. They know that most migrant workers don't
have legal rights of access to local authority housing or homelessness
services and therefore turn to the private sector." Sharp was reluctant
to discuss the allegations that he is being investigated by Fife
Council. When confronted by the Sunday Herald, he said he was a
registered landlord and would provide migrants with leases "if they
want them".