The Mayor of London yesterday awarded the capital’s first rental standard badge of accreditation to a Haringey landlord.

Boris Johnson presented the London Rental Standard certificate of accreditation to private landlord Rob Hunter at the property he rents out in Haringey.

Mr Hunter said: “This is a significant step forward in raising the standard of rental accommodation in the capital. It will encourage more tenants to choose an accredited landlord over one that is not, make landlords more accountable, help them understand their responsibilities and recognise best practice."

Cameron Baverstock, one of Mr Hunter’s tenants, said: “I previously rented with a non-accredited landlord and this turned out to be a huge mistake. My housemates and I would sometimes spend weeks without hot water with the landlord responding slowly and poorly to complaints.

“With nobody to hold the landlord to account there was very little we could do. Living in one of Rob’s houses for the last two years or so, I’ve received a dramatically different level of service.”

The Mayor has said he hopes to make the London Rental Standard a recognisable feature of London’s lettings industry, helping Londoners to choose between the array of landlords and agents on offer in London.