The government has vowed to crack down on rent-to-rent operators, where a landlord hands a property to renters who then rent it out to other tenants.
Baroness Jane Scott of Bybrook, a member of the House of Lords, said there are concerns that this makes it harder to identify and hold landlords to account.
She added the government has already handed powers to local authorities to fine landlords who rent out substandard accommodation to the sum of up to £30,000.
Speaking in parliament, she said: “We are determined to crack down on illegal practices in rent-to-rent schemes.”
She added: “We are also exploring how we can strengthen local authorities’ investigative and enforcement powers, as part of our forthcoming reforms of the private rented sector.
“This will help councils to identify culpable landlords and ensure that they can be punished through prosecutions, fines, rent repayment orders and potential banning orders.”
The upcoming property portal for private rented homes should make landlords more identifiable, as it would be mandatory for them to register their properties.
