Why Barking & Dagenham may be London’s highest-risk borough for unlawful renting — and what that means for tenants
Our Data Analysis
London Tenant Services’ analysis indicates that Barking & Dagenham is likely the London borough with the highest concentration of properties exposed to Rent Repayment Orders (RROs).
This conclusion is not based on anecdote or isolated tribunal cases. It is the result of systematic, borough-level analysis using:
- Office for National Statistics (ONS) housing data
- council-published licensing information
- Freedom of Information (FOI) responses
- and privately procured property and rental datasets
Together, these sources point to a level of potential non-compliance that is materially higher than elsewhere in London — particularly in parts of the borough dominated by large, privately rented homes.
The key finding: a scale problem, not a one-off issue
LTS’s analysis shows that in some areas of Barking & Dagenham, as many as 94.7% of tenants renting 5-bedroom private properties may be living in homes that should be licensed but are not.
In practical terms, this means:
- the property may be operating unlawfully, and
- tenants in those homes could be eligible to recover rent through a Rent Repayment Order, subject to individual circumstances.
This level of exposure is significantly higher than in most other London boroughs we have assessed.
Why Barking & Dagenham stands out
Several structural factors converge in Barking & Dagenham:
- a high concentration of large family homes converted into shared accommodation
- strong demand from renters priced out of neighbouring boroughs
- extensive selective and additional licensing requirements
- and historically low visibility for tenants around licensing status
When these factors combine, the risk of unlicensed renting increases — often without tenants being aware that anything is wrong.
Working with council data — independently, and in the open
London Tenant Services has worked extensively with Barking & Dagenham Council data, including licensing registers, enforcement information, and FOI disclosures, to understand how the private rented sector operates in practice.
While LTS is independent and tenant-focused, our analysis is grounded in the same data councils themselves rely on to regulate housing standards.
This allows us to identify patterns and risk areas that are not visible to individual tenants — and are rarely surfaced proactively.
Why this matters for tenants
Many tenants assume that:
- councils will automatically intervene if something is wrong, or
- paying rent means the tenancy must be lawful.
Neither assumption is correct.
Where a landlord has failed to comply with licensing or other housing obligations, the law allows tenants to reclaim rent already paid, often covering many months of their tenancy.
Importantly, many cases never reach tribunal. Once non-compliance is identified, they frequently resolve through private settlement.
What makes London Tenant Services different
London Tenant Services is the only organisation we are aware of that proactively:
- identifies borough-level risk using data,
- pinpoints specific areas with high likelihood of unlawful renting, and
- does so with the sole purpose of helping tenants understand and enforce their rights.
We do not wait for tenants to complain after the fact. We focus on finding where the risk already exists.
The takeaway
Barking & Dagenham is not just another London borough with isolated housing issues. The data suggests it may be the single most significant hotspot for potential Rent Repayment Orders in the capital.
For tenants renting large properties in the borough — particularly shared or multi-occupancy homes — the likelihood of being affected is far higher than most people realise.
If you rent privately in Barking & Dagenham and have never checked whether your property required a licence, it is worth doing so. The financial implications can be substantial.
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