Private landlords in England get £1.6bn a year welfare for ‘non-decent’ homes

Sadiq Khan describes figures from City Hall analysis as a ‘scandal’, with London the worst affected region

Private landlords in England are earning £1.6bn a year in housing benefit in return for providing “non-decent” homes, in what Sadiq Khan has described as a “scandal”.

The capital is the worst affected region, with £500m in welfare money going on privately rented homes that are in a state of disrepair, cold, damp, lacking modern facilities or do not meet health and safety standards, according to City Hall analysis.