Housing Secretary cracks down on dangerous rented homes as new £7k fines kick in

• Landlords who don't fix dangerous problems like damp and mould now face fines of up to £7,000

• New power now in force in the Renters' Rights Act so councils can take stronger action where landlords fail to fix problems, alongside existing enforcement powers

• New penalty will speed up fixes, as the Housing Secretary calls on councils to use all powers at their disposal to tackle poor conditions

Private renters will see stronger action on dangerous problems like severe damp and mould, following a new government crackdown.

Councils can now issue fines (from Monday 22 June) of up to £7,000 if landlords refuse to fix poor conditions.

The fine will apply to 21 types of hazards that are found to be serious - the most dangerous level - which include freezing conditions, faulty electrics, fire hazards, structural issues and unsafe layouts. Around 10% of private rented homes are estimated to have at least one of these health and safety problems classified as serious.

The new penalty sits alongside existing powers councils can use to tackle unsafe homes that put tenants at risk. These include forcing repairs, carrying out emergency works and recovering costs from landlords who fail to act.

Today (Monday 22 June) the Housing Secretary has written to mayors across England urging councils to use all powers at their disposal to tackle unsafe housing and protect tenants.

Housing Secretary Steve Reed said:  

Renters deserve a safe, secure place to call home and our landmark Renters' Rights Act gives councils more options to take speedy action against rogue landlords.

These include the new power to issue a £7,000 penalty to a landlord when there is a hazard like severe damp or mould in a privately rented home a situation that no family should have to live with.

Alongside the new fines, this government is updating the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) for the first time in 20 years. This important system is used to assess health and safety in all types of housing, making it simpler to identify dangerous risks and take action.

The improved final framework comes into force on Tuesday 23 June and will support quicker enforcement, helping to ensure hazards such as damp, fire risks and unsafe electrics are addressed more effectively.

Ben Twomey, Chief Executive of Generation Rent, said:

Homes are the foundations of our lives, and no renter should have to live alongside mould, dampness and other risks to our health.

The council being given the power to fine landlords up to £7000 if they ignore repairs is an essential step towards raising the quality of rented homes. For renters to feel the benefit, though, councils must seek out and take action against those landlords who ignore unsafe conditions and profit from misery.

Clara Collingwood, Director at the Renters' Reform Coalition, said:

"Homes are the foundation for our lives, but for far too long hundreds of thousands of renters have been living in substandard homes that undermine our health and cause serious harm to children and vulnerable adults. It's great that authorities have new powers to tackle this, and they must start using them immediately to crack down on landlords who profit from unhealthy homes.

 "And now that we have new rights as renters, we need to use them - any tenant living with serious disrepair or damp and mould should know they don't have to put up with it any longer. With new rights and protections, and section 21 evictions scrapped, we can't be evicted for complaining and shouldn't be afraid to report dodgy landlords to the council."

ENDS

Notes to editors:

• The final new and improved Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) will come into force on Tuesday 23 June. The regulations are availablehere and guidance here.

• The final enforcement guidance will also be published on 23 June and the draft version is available here. It explains more information (p29) on the new financial penalty that councils can now issue.

• The 21 hazards subject to these new fines of up to £7k are those that are at the most dangerous Category 1' level, assessed using the HHSRS, where councils have a duty to act.

• The HHSRS was last reviewed 20 years ago in 2006. The new version is simpler and easier to use, with improvements including:

• The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government will soon publish a new suite of illustrated case studies and new baseline indicators for achieving safety against each hazard.