Not so 'by the way'...
Bad landlords face licensing crackdown
With multiple tenants crammed into decrepit properties, one London borough is taking direct action
"...In January 2013, in a concerted attempt to tackle the issue of poor private sector rented housing, Newham became the first borough in the country to introduce compulsory licensing for all private landlords. Elsewhere, mandatory licences required by landlords are merely for the multiple occupancy properties they own.
In Newham, landlords now need to show they are "fit and proper persons", which involves a Criminal Records Bureau check. They also need to demonstrate to Newham that any gas and electrical installations have a safety certificate, tenants are on written tenancy agreements, and anti-social behaviour and repairs are effectively managed.
So far more than 15,000 landlords have applied for licences for 29,000 properties - not all of which will be granted. However, there are a further 10,000 homes the council believes are under the radar, and these are the priority for licensing enforcement agents. Twice-weekly "dawn raids" are carried out by a council enforcement team in conjunction with the police and the UK Border Agency. For the council, these are primarily concerned with identifying and cracking down on properties where landlords have not bothered to apply for licences, as well as identifying illegal backyard "sheds" which landlords have increasingly been converting into illegal living spaces..."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2013/jun/14/bad-landlords-licensing-crackdown