‘Ants are everywhere’: Labour MP’s tenants reveal state of flats

“I’m deeply concerned,” said Conservative Andrew Boff, who has also visited the flats, spoken to residents and took pictures of the mould.

“I worry that there are people who are Jas Athwal’s tenants who are now frightened to speak for fear of being evicted.”

“We’ve heard this time and time again about how the threat of eviction is used to excuse poor maintenance of properties,” he added.

He has called for the Labour Party and Redbridge Council to investigate Mr Athwal.

“Here we have a situation where somebody who is the leader of Redbridge Council, which introduced a licensing scheme, which he told everybody else to sign up to, and he didn’t do it himself,” he said.

Mr Athwal did not respond to a request for interview but said in a statement: “My properties are managed by an agency, selected for their quick response times and excellent customer service. This is evidenced by the long tenure of the tenants – over 87 years across 15 properties.

“I pride myself on being a good landlord and no tenants have ever been evicted. Repairs and improvements have been made to properties as recently as two weeks ago.

“To ensure tenants enjoy a secure, long-term home, rents are kept below market rate and, in many cases rents are frozen at the rate first agreed.

“Every Redbridge rental property I own is in full compliance with the landlord licence scheme, and have been since its creation. Landlords are contacted by the council when licences are due for renewal, this has not yet occurred for my properties but licences will be renewed when the notices are issued.”

Around 60 current MPs receive income from rental properties, according to Parliament’s latest register of interests.