Mold, cold, and pests – how we can eliminate slum landlords

Thousands of tenants are living in squalor, facing persistent issues such as mold, lack of heating, and pest infestations, with landlords neglecting their responsibilities. The Swedish Tenants' Union highlights that this is not an isolated problem but a nationwide issue affecting numerous properties.

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In the home, one should feel safe, but how can that happen when the law that is supposed to protect has a big hole?

Landlords who are described as "slum landlords" are accused of neglecting repairs, ignoring tenant complaints, and allowing properties to decay while continuing to raise rents. This practice is seen as deeply provocative, especially when tenants pay rent but live in substandard conditions.

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We handle cases daily where tenants testify about walls full of mold, heating that doesn't work, pests that are not handled, broken doors that are never fixed, or repair requests that are met with silence week after week.

The union emphasizes that while they work to protect tenants, current legislation has significant loopholes. The lack of frequent government oversight and meaningful sanctions for irresponsible landlords means that tenants bear the brunt of these failures. They argue that everyone, including tenants, has a right to a safe and functional home, and the law needs to be strengthened to ensure this basic right is upheld.

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It is provocative when property owners year after year push through rent increases, while tenants live with mold, pests, broken locks, cold apartments, and defects that are never rectified.