New rules in force from today (6 April 2017) will help crackdown
on rogue landlords that flout the rules and improve safety and
affordability for renters.
Announcing the measures, Housing Minister confirmed the powers will
give local authorities the tools to crack down on the small
minority of rogue landlords who shirk their responsibilities.
This comes as part of the government’s plan set out in
its housing white
paper to create a bigger and better private rental
sector that meets the needs of tenants and landlords alike,
giving those who rent a fairer deal.
Councils are now able to impose fines of up to
£30,000 as an alternative to prosecution for a range of
housing offences. They will be able to retain all of the income
to make sure it is used for private sector housing enforcement
purposes.
Rent repayment orders, which can be issued to penalise landlords
managing or letting unlicensed properties, have also
been extended to cover a wider
range of situations. These include the illegal evictions or
harassment of the occupiers of a property, using violence to
secure entry and the breach of a banning order.
Housing and Planning Minister said:
These measures will give councils the additional powers they
need to tackle poor-quality rental homes in their area.
By driving out of business those rogue landlords that continue
to flout the rules, we can raise standards, improve
affordability and give tenants the protections they need.
Further new measures introduced today include giving councils access to
tenancy deposit protection data that help them identify
rental properties in their area, and tackle the small minority of
rogue landlords through targeted enforcement and prevention work.
Letting agents’ fees will also be banned to give renters greater
clarity and control over what they will pay.
The recently published housing white paper set out measures to
build the homes Britain needs now and to give those that rent a
fairer deal, putting tackling the high cost of renting at the
heart of its plan to fix the broken housing market.
Other intended measures in the housing white paper to help
renters include:
- encouraging further growth through of the supply of rental
properties by amending planning rules so councils can proactively
plan for more long-term Build to Rent homes
- looking at allowing developers to offer more affordable rent
alongside other forms of affordable housing
- working to ensure longer-term family friendly tenancies are
available in the private rental sector, including working with
the British Property Federation and National Housing Federation,
to provide more stability for families who are currently renting
The government also accepts the recommendations of the
Client Money Protection working group, to make it mandatory
for all agents to protect the client money they handle. The
government will consult in due course.
Since 2011 government has provided £12 million so local
authorities can carry out more raids, issue more statutory
notices and demolish beds in sheds and other prohibited
buildings.
The Chancellor announced at the Autumn Statement 2016 that the
government will ban letting agent fees paid by tenants, to
improve competition in the private rental market.
On Monday 27 March 2017 the Client Money Protection working group
by and published
its report examining Client
Money Protection (CMP) in the market place.
Government confirmed that it would accept the working group’s
recommendation to make CMPmandatory in response to an
oral question in the House of Lords on 28 March.
Our How to rent guide helps
tenants know their rights and responsibilities. Letting agents
are required to belong to a redress scheme so landlords and
tenants have somewhere to go if they get a raw deal.
