A landlord was found to be renting a “coffin-like” cupboard to a man in London as a room.
Inspectors for Newham Council discovered the one-metre by two-metre understairs space in an overcrowded house in Beckton.
According to the council, the four-bedroom house had already been fitted with 11 “sleeping spaces,” with bunk beds crammed into single rooms.
Officers also discovered serious fire and electrical safety hazards in the two-storey house, with the gas meter stored in the understairs cupboard.
Mayor of Newham Sir Robin Wales said, “It cannot be right in the 21st century, in one of the world’s wealthiest cities, a young man is being forced to pay hundreds of pounds to rent a cupboard under the stairs, sleeping alongside the gas meter.
“The scenes we saw on this visit are a timely reminder that, while by tackling bad landlords we are driving up standards, there is still much to do. That is why it’s imperative that the government allow us to continue with this work, and stop the exploitation of tenants.”
