The families stuck living in Britain’s unlicensed bedsits - podcast

Why do so many people end up in unlicensed houses of multiple occupation? And what are the conditions like? Robert Booth reports

“A few Saturdays ago, I had a meltdown,” Leah* tells Hannah Moore. “I woke up, the children had to get ready for their online lessons and they waited ages to use the bathroom, and I thought I can’t do this any more. It’s so unfair on the children.”

Leah lives in one of London’s many unlicensed bedsits, known as houses of multiple occupation (HMOs). She says there are 10 people living in the home, but at times there have been 14.

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