Statement on "London's smallest flat"
Response to recent coverage of “London's smallest flat” - an 80 sq ft privately owned microflat in Clapton which recently went up for auction.
Further information
The original conversion of this property into flats in 2008-9 was done unlawfully and was done without planning permission.
National planning rules mean that , once a property flat has been in continuous use for four years following conversion, it becomes immune from enforcement action. In most cases the only way we can possibly know about these unlawful changes is if someone makes a complaint about it within the four years.
The national minimum space standards state that the minimum size for a single adult is 70 sq feet, and the flat therefore complies with national minimum space standards.
While the limitations of national regulations mean that the Council is unable to intervene in this instance, the Council has rolled out property licensing measures across around 10,000 privately rented homes in Hackney designed to tackle overcrowding and exploitation of tenants in the private rented sector.
This property was unlawfully converted from a family home without our permission, and we echo the concerns about what is a wholly unacceptable place for someone to live.
Frustratingly, the building was converted many years ago without our knowledge and we have no power to require it to be turned back into a family home. However, we have rolled out licensing measures across thousands of homes in the borough to prevent just this type of exploitation and would urge the Government to give us power to do even more to protect private renters.
Meanwhile, we continue to make the case to the government to tackle the underlying causes of a housing crisis that encourages landlords to profit from accommodation like this – including meaningful investment in genuinely affordable social housing, and better national regulations to improve standards and affordability among privately rented homes.
Philip Glanville, Mayor of Hackney