The mayor of London’s office reported 1,400 complaints to its rogue landlords helpline between March and December – double the previous number – of which one in five were about illegal evictions. An estimated 450,000 UK families have fallen behind on rent or mortgage payments since the pandemic started. “We need real action to tackle the housing crisis, crack down on bad practices and support councils to build truly affordable homes ” said shadow secretary of state for housing Thangam Debbonaire. “The (government) should follow the example set by Sadiq Khan, who publishes data on dodgy landlords in London, and make the names public so we can all see who they are.”