Islington faces a concerning rise in rents and evictions, exacerbated by a freeze in housing benefits, according to a recent meeting of the Homes and Communities Scrutiny Committee. The council is offering accommodation to everyone identified as sleeping rough in Islington and has a higher percentage rate than other London councils for getting people off the streets and into permanent accommodation.
Director of Housing Operations, Councillor Ian Swift, highlighted a worrying trend: a 14% increase in rents in Islington's private rented sector in the last 12 months, mirroring the previous year's rise. This 28% cumulative increase contrasts sharply with the stagnant local housing allowance rate set by central government.
The, the reason, uh, landlords are evicting, uh, tenants is because we've seen in Islington a 14% increase in rents, uh, in the private rented sector in the last 12 months, 14% the year before. But yet the local housing allowance rate, which is the rate set by central governments, has not increased for next financial year. So the tenants can no longer afford the rent since the rent has gone up 28% and the housing benefit hasn't gone up.
This disparity forces tenants into homelessness as they can no longer afford the rent, creating a cycle where landlords evict existing tenants and re-let properties at inflated prices that only new tenants can afford. Councillor Swift explained that the council is trying to prevent homelessness, but the market is not aligned with what local residents need. In addition to providing accommodation, the council lobbied to extend the eviction period to 56 days.
To address the affordability crisis in the private rented sector, the council is working on extending the register of private landlords with licensing. Councillor Weekes is expected to provide an update to the committee in February regarding private landlord registration.
The Homes and Communities Scrutiny Committee convened on Monday, 29 December 2025, with Councillor Jason Jackson chairing the session. The meeting addressed a range of housing-related issues. The meeting was broadcast live on the council website, and a transcript is available.
