Letting agents and landlords in London will have “nowhere to hide” if they try to exploit tenants, Mayor Sadiq Khan has warned.

Yesterday he launched a ‘Rogue Landlord and Agent Checker’ – the first such blacklist in the country – that names and shames landlords and agents who have been successfully prosecuted and faced civil enforcement action for housing offences.

There is also information from the redress schemes about agents who have been expelled.

A private part of the database allows local authorities and the London Fire Brigade to share more detailed information about landlord and letting agent offences.

The launch comes ahead of the national ‘blacklist’ which was expected in October but is now due to be launched by DCLG in April.

However, while this is set only to be available to local councils and central government, the London blacklist will be available to the public.

On the public part of the database, records will be available in most cases for only 12 months, due to restrictions in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

Landlords and agents are notified of their proposed inclusion on the database and given the opportunity to make a representation to have their details removed.

Ahead of yesterday’s launch, records from ten London boroughs and the London Fire Brigade were published on the database.

A further eight boroughs will be submitting records shortly.

Khan said he hopes the remaining London councils will add their data, although he has no powers to enforce this.

As well as records on prosecutions and enforcement action, the database will offer tenants a tool for the easy reporting of landlords and agents they suspect of unscrupulous practices.

Khan said: “Many landlords and agents across London offer a great service – but sadly some don’t.

“My new database is about empowering Londoners to make informed choices about where they rent, and sending rogue operators a clear message: you have nowhere to hide.

“Boroughs on the database and I are using our existing powers to help London’s renters – but to go much further we need investment and resources from central government.

“For a start they should stop dragging their feet on the creation of the compulsory national database they promised to set up.

“Before ministers have even laid the regulations for their database, we’ve planned, built and launched ours – and unlike the Government’s plans, we have made our database accessible to the public.”

www.london.gov.uk/rogue-landlord-checker