Raw sewage in living room among complaints heard by property tribunal

​Guardian analysis of hundreds of documents also finds complaints of rodents, bed bugs, overcrowding and fire safety issuesRaw sewage leaking into a living room, rodents, bed bug and mite infestations, overcrowding and fire safety issues make up just some of the complaints levelled at rogue landlords in tribunal filings in the past year.The findings come after the Guardian analysed hundreds of documents from the first-tier property tribunal involving tenants renting house-shares of five or more people (or three or more in parts of London) sharing kitchen and bathroom facilities, known as houses of multiple occupation or HMOs.Raw sewage leaking from a toilet and seeping through the living room ceiling, which had to be collected in plastic containers.Multiple properties that had no fire detection system or smoke alarm; lacked an adequate central heating system; had infestations of rodents, bed bugs and pigeon mites, which were not adequately dealt with.A London landlord renting out a property through a company the tribunal found did not exist.A converted church rented to students was inadequately secured after a burglary and the burglar was later found to be living in the attic. At the same property, a fire took place when smoke alarms were not working. Continue reading…