Brent Council has vowed to take “the strongest possible enforcement action” against rogue landlords after 16 people were found crammed into a two-bedroom flat above a shop.

A dawn raid in Kingsbury Road, Kingsbury, discovered a host of mattresses, bunk beds and sofa beds in the home, which was poorly ventilated and full of fire hazards.

One person staying in the property was paying £50 a week for a bed space. If this same amount was used throughout the flat, the landlord could have been pocketing around £3,200 a month.

Cllr Eleanor Southwood, responsible for housing at Brent Council, said this served as a reminder that the council will not tolerate such activity.

She said: “Housing tenants in unsafe conditions is against the law.

“Rogue landlords exploiting their tenants by forcing them to live in Dickensian conditions should be on notice: we will take the strongest possible enforcement action to protect our residents.”

The council added that anyone who suspects that an unlicensed property is being rented out in the borough can report it anonymously on its website.