The Communities and Local Government Committee has today launched
an inquiry into whether councils have adequate powers to tackle
‘rogue landlords’.
The inquiry into the role of local authorities in the Private
Rented Sector (PRS) will focus on the provision by councils of
private rented accommodation and whether they have sufficient
powers to deal with bad practices.
The inquiry will also examine barriers to intervention in the
private rented sector, whether landlord licensing schemes are
promoting higher quality accommodation and the effectiveness of
complaint mechanism for tenants.
MP, Chair of the Communities
and Local Government Committee, said: “With a
big rise in the number of people renting over the last decade,
there are real concerns about the ability of local authorities to
protect tenants by tackling bad landlords and practices.
Our inquiry will examine how local authorities can carry out
enforcement work to deal with rogue landlords as well as looking
at approaches used by councils to provide private rented
accommodation in their areas.”
The PRS has grown from 1 in 10 households in 2004 to 1 in 5
households in 2016 with the under-40s making up 70% of
households.
The inquiry follows on from a Committee report published
in 2013 which highlighted five key areas in which the Government
should take action including: reviewing and simplifying the
legislation covering the sector; giving local authorities the
tools they need to enforce the law and raise standards; better
regulation of letting agents; a cultural shift towards longer
tenancies; and a renewed effort to boost housing supply.
Local authorities are set to be granted new powers to seek
banning orders against rogue landlords/agents.
Submitting written evidence – terms of reference
The Committee is inviting written evidence in relation to the
points below:
- · Do
local authorities have the powers and capacity required to
enforce standards in the private rented sector and deal with
‘rogue landlords’?
- · What
are the main obstacles to effective intervention in the private
rented sector?
- · How
effective are landlord licensing schemes in promoting higher
quality accommodation?
- · What
approaches have local authorities taken to promote affordable
private rented sector accommodation in their areas?
- · How
effective are complaint mechanisms for tenants in the private
rented sector?
The closing date for submissions is Friday 24 November 2017.
