UK: East London housing raid finds 26 people living in three-bedroom house

A housing raid in East Ham has revealed that a property was being resided by four times its legal occupancy.

The house that was licensed to be occupied by up to seven people had nearly 25 adults and a child living under the same roof when Newham authorities investigated the property.

Seven tenants were found living in the basement that had no sort of ventilation or windows.

"This property is a classic example of the type of exploitation of residents we strive to bring a stop to in Newham. 26 people living in a three-bedroom property is despicable in 21st century Britain – it's Dickensian," said Sir Robin Wales, Mayor of Newham, reported The Independent.

During his speech to the Chartered Institute for Housing, Sir Robin criticized the government for the, "failure to tackle the housing crisis."

According to the Newham council, the scale of overcrowding at the property was, "the biggest we have seen in a while."

The investigations began after the property was found being occupied by multiple occupants through a data warehouse system that studies council tax details.

The landlord of the overcrowded property who will eventually be prosecuted was allegedly earning up to £2,340 in total from all the occupants.

The landlord had some three years ago served an enforcement order for a planning permission breach.

"What I put it down to is London rents are so off the scale that people will live anywhere just to be able to afford to stay here," Ben Reeve-Lewis, a local authority housing enforcement officer, told the Guardian.

"Last year we prosecuted a landlord who had 47 people in a property meant to house nine."