PRIVATE tenants in Glasgow have been told they are protected against immediate eviction by rogue landlords.

The reassurance comes after string of renting bans were handed out to property owners across the city this year.

Concerns have been raised that many tenants don’t know their rights and are in fear of being left homeless when landlords have their licences revoked.

In Govanhill alone, the council has banned dozens of slum landlords using Enhanced Enforcement Area powers which were given in 2017 to tackle poor housing conditions in the area.

Dr Soryia Siddique, who represents the area at Glasgow City Council, said: “Health and safety is paramount.

“The city council should have a communication process which alerts tenants to issues found and their rights accordingly.

“This may require working with local housing associations and social work to rehouse families impacted as a matter of priority.”

Last month Syed Hussain, who owns nine properties on the South Side of the city, was struck off of the private landlords register after inspectors found 22 faults at his Garturk Street flat in Govanhill.

Among the defects was a hole in the entrance door, unsecured floorboards, a missing smoke detector and a signs of a possible vermin infestation.

In May, five slum landlords who operated in Govanhill were also put out of business by city chiefs.

Oleg Aliev, Rovina Maqsood, Mohammed Khawaja, Shahid Hanif and Bakrat Ali were removed from the register of private landlords.

Inspectors found their properties in a broken-down state, overcrowded, and without basic facilities like a sink.

And in March this year, Harpal Singh was banned for life from renting properties out after he was jailed following a fire in 1999 which killed two students in his Woodlands flats.

A Glasgow City Council spokesman said: “Tenants’ rights are protected in the event that a landlord has their registration revoked or refused.

“No tenant can be evicted unless the landlord follows the proper legal process. If a tenant wishes to stay at the address, it is advised that they continue to pay rent as normal until notified to do otherwise.

“There is a period of appeal against a decision to refuse or revoke landlord registration and so it can take time to implement the rent penalty notice, which legally prevents a landlord from drawing a rent from a property.

“Depending on the circumstances of a case, it is possible that the issues that led to a landlord’s registration being revoked or refused can be resolved and tenants can continue living at an address.

“However, if a tenant receives a notice to quit from a landlord they should immediately seek legal advice on what to do next.

“We always write to tenants to advise them of their rights when it has been decided their landlord’s registration should be revoked or refused.”