A £2 million fund has been opened up for councils in England to crackdown on rogue landlords in the private rented sector.
Councils will be able to bid for funding to step up enforcement action against irresponsible landlords who make tenants’ lives a misery and them tenants to live in squalid conditions.
Housing Minister Heather Wheeler said that whilst the majority of landlords provide decent homes for their tenants, a small minority continue to break the law and offer inadequate or unsafe housing, including to young families and others who are vulnerable to exploitation.
She explained that the £2 million in funding builds on Government action to drive up standards in the private rented sector. ‘Everyone deserves to live in a home that is safe and secure, and it is vital we crack down on the small minority of landlords who are not giving their tenants this security,’ she said.
‘This funding will help further strengthen councils’ powers to tackle rogue landlords and ensure that poor quality homes in their area are improved, making the housing market fairer for everyone,’ she added.
Local authorities already have strong powers to require landlords to make necessary improvements to a property and can use a range of measures, including fines and banning orders, to tackle rogue landlords.
The new funding will be used to support a range of projects that councils have said will help them to ramp up action against criminal landlords, for example, to build relationships with external organisations such as the emergency services, legal services and local housing advocates.
Councils may also decide to support tenants to take action against poor standards through rent repayment orders, or develop digital solutions, helping officers to report back and make decisions quicker.
The money will also be used to encourage councils to share best practice of enforcement action and examples of innovative approaches that are self-sustaining and can be easily adapted to other parts of the country.
There are more than 4.5 million households in the private rented sector in England, with recent statistics showing that 82% of private renters are satisfied with their accommodation.
The fund will help councils take on the most common challenges that stand in the way of tackling poor standards in the private rented sector, including the need for better information on housing stock and on landlords and agents operating in their areas.
Also, data sharing between authorities and agencies to identify and bring together different data sets to enable better enforcement targeting as well as innovative software for enforcement officers to record their findings, gather evidence and streamline the enforcement process.
