Stockholm parties propose "property police" against slum landlords

Stockholm's Left Party is campaigning on a promise to introduce a "property police" to tackle the issue of slum landlords exploiting the city's housing crisis. The party argues that some property owners neglect their buildings or actively harass tenants with sudden rent increases without making necessary improvements.

"We have a housing crisis in Stockholm that is ruthlessly exploited by slum landlords," said Deniz Butros, the Left Party's housing commissioner. "Some property owners do everything from neglecting their homes to actively harassing tenants by drastically increasing rents without actually making any improvements to the property."

The proposal involves creating a new compulsory administration unit within the Property Department. This unit would have the power to take over the management of buildings from negligent landlords. The Green Party supports this initiative, while the Social Democrats are awaiting further details, and the Moderate Party opposes the creation of a new entity.

Compulsory administration, a measure described as radical by Butros, would mean landlords lose the right to manage their own properties, with a designated administrator taking over. This action is considered one of the most severe measures within rental law. The Left Party also suggests increasing fines to a percentage of a company's turnover to make them more impactful.

Butros highlighted the "chaos houses" in Vårberg, southern Stockholm, as an example of severe neglect. Despite years of deterioration, the Rent Tribunal has previously rejected compulsory administration for these properties. She noted that many neighbors are afraid to speak out against landlords for fear of losing their rental contracts. The party also points to fragmented oversight between different city departments as a contributing factor to the problem.

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We have a housing crisis in Stockholm that is ruthlessly exploited by slum landlords. Some property owners do everything from neglecting their homes to actively harassing tenants by drastically increasing rents without actually making any improvements to the property.