Rent cheats meet their match (Southwark Liberal Democrats)

Southwark Liberal Democrats <info@southwark-libdems.org.uk>

Rent cheats meet their match

February 15, 2006 9:18 AM

Councillor Lorraine Zuleta highlights the improvement in Southwark Council's rent collection

Councillor Lorraine Zuleta has led efforts to tackle the problem of unpaid rent in Southwark

Official figures show a massive improvement in the way Southwark collects council house rents since the Liberal Democrats took over control of the council in 2002.

Under Labour rent cheats owed over £20 million to the council. Campaigners who has been campaigning with tenants and residents in Walworth, said: "It's outrageous that Labour hiked up rents year after year but didn't bother to collect it properly."

When they took control of the council Southwark Liberal Democrats made an ambitious promise to cut the level of arrears in half - and are on course to do so.

"The council was in a desperate position when it was run by Labour," said leading Lib Dem councillor Lorraine Zuleta. Improving rent collection allows us to invest more money looking after tenants' properties."

Under Labour cheats lived in council properties rent-free while honest tenants suffered appalling levels of service. Things are getting better with the Liberal Democrats.