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Councils get £2m to tackle rogue landlords
Councils will be handed an extra £2m from the government to tackle rogue landlords that force tenants to live in inadequate housing.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s £2m fund will be made available to councils across the country, who will bid for grants to help them step up enforcement efforts against criminal landlords.
The money will go towards a range of projects to help increase action including being used to develop digital solutions to help officers report incidents, so decisions can be made more quickly.
Councils will also be able to use the money to support tenants action against their landlords through rent repayment orders.
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There are currently 4.5 million households in the private rented sector in England, with research from the English Housing Survey finding that only 84% of renters are satisfied with their accommodation.
The £2m will also be used to build relationships between councils, external legal services and local housing advocates and encouraging councils to share best practice of enforcement action with other authorities.
Housing Minister Heather Wheeler said: “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.
“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.”
Update: at 09.40am on 8.11.2018
This story was updated to correct an error. It was previously reported that research from the Resident Landlords Association found that only 82% of renters were satisfied with their accommodation. This research was from government’s English Housing Survey last year. The latest English Housing Survey shows that 84% of tenants in the private sector were satisfied with their accommodation.
