Data gathered by the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) shows that less than half the fines levied against rogue landlords have been collected by local authorities.
According to Freedom of Information data obtained by the NRLA, between 2021 and 2023 £13m worth of civil penalties were issued by councils. However, just £6m has so far been collected.
Local authorities can issue civil penalties of up to £30,000 for a range of offences committed by rogue landlords. These can be used to fund further enforcement activity.
The NRLA data also reveals how almost half of local authorities (49%) have not issued any civil penalties between 2021 and 2023, whilst 69% had issued just five or fewer.
The figures come as the Renters Reform Bill, currently going through Parliament, extends the range of offences that councils can issue civil penalties for, raising the question of how able they will be to use these newly acquired powers when almost half are not using the very considerable powers they already have.
The NRLA is calling for the creation of a new national Chief Environmental Health Officer to lead the charge for improved enforcement against rogue and criminal landlords.
It says the government should also establish a recruitment and training fund to boost capacity in council enforcement teams, and better support the sharing of best practice between councils.
Ben Beadle, Chief Executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, says: “Rogue and criminal landlords cause misery for their tenants and undermine the reputation of the responsible majority. Tackling them should be a high priority for councils.
“At a time of tight budgets, it is strange that councils are failing to collect the fines levied on those landlords failing to do the right thing.
“It makes a mockery of the deterrent such fines should be. It will also come as a bitter blow to the many responsible landlords who comply with, and exceed, their responsibilities - but are subject to licencing regimes and associated fees all the same.
“It is vital that the Government and councils work together to boost the capacity of enforcement teams to make better use of the existing powers they have to tackle poor quality housing.
“Without this, additional protections for tenants in the Renters Reform Bill run the risk of being meaningless.”
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Is this Chap supposed to be Representing Landlords.
That’s what he tells everyone, but landlords don’t believe him. 😂
My view is that adding more legislation to control rogue landlords is pointless when there is plenty of legislation in place if only it was enforced, and this backs that up.
Anything new adds cost for those of us who do all we should and the rogues ignore the new regs, as they have the old ones and are therefore not affected.
The rogue landlords do not bother with any regulation so why would they bother with something like this?!?!
Typical
They set the rules but are too incompetent, lazy and useless to enforce them
Control of rogue landlords yes, but control of rogue tenants as well
The Council already had enough power to deal with any Private Landlord Rental issue as far back as 1992 and took action.
I still have the News Paper where the Ealing Council Leader said so, why are they wasting Parliamentary time over 30 years later making ever more unnecessary legislation.
As a former EHO, I found the most effective way to deal with rogue landlords and unfit property including HMOs was to close them down. If there is an "imminent risk of serious harm" the emergency closure procedure works well. Of course, we are now in a situation where displaced tenants have little hope of rehousing, but nevertheless, closure or a realistic threat of closure is a quick, punitive and effective solution for rogue landlords. And while some officers seem to think prosecution is the best way, really it is time consuming and does nothing to help the tenants. I also enjoyed doing works in default which the landlord then has to pay for and which generates a charge on the property.
It's a shame civil penalties and licensing fees have blinded council managers to the very effective enforcement options already available to them. Because civil penalties, like parking fines, once you've racked up a drawer full of them, there's no incentive to pay. Particularly when rogue landlords really couldn't give a stuff.
There seems to be a good reason why you are a Former Enforcement Officer good job an all. Some people so far up the town backside completely out of touch with Society causing the homeless crisis, more Landlords out exacerbating the problem, more EHO in might as well be part of Shelter all great people that don’t house anyone. Congrats any more stupid draconian ideas.
I would love to know a bit mre about these so called Rogue landlords , we are always talking about them , there must be thousands , but when ever we see a report on one its because they have breached some kind of a technical condition . As a percentage of the landlord community , how many are there i wonder? Sometimes i cant help but feel the real rogues are the ones who work within the law; im thinking of one very large housing provider and the way they have treated a member of my family who is very vunerable; and who was threated with eviction because of a persistant leak in his bathroom upsetting his downstairs neghbour . It was a shocking and callus approach to a problem that should have been sorted by a compentent housing manager . Anyone with more information on how we collate data on 'rogue' landlords feel free to share.
Of the 2.4 million private landlords it is believed that approx 90 are listed on the Gov’s own Rouge Landlords data base. The data base is not publicly available!!
In other words the number as a proportion of the total is less than miniscule.
We need to be careful , about labelling all Landlords that fall foul of Council Rules as Rogue.
If you try to evict a Tenant , The formula used by Legal Aid Duty Solicitors is to get the Council do do a Property / HSSR inspection to find faults , to beef up a basis for a defence. If there are any faults or breaches regardless of who caused them the Landlord will be held responsible.
For example tenant breaks window in door because of lost key , Category 1 Hazard , £30000 .
They have pulled the Know of the Boiler. No hot water £30000.
The Councils used to work with Landlords give them a list of problems to rectify any problems. and a time scale to do it , Which was sensible . I am not sure how it works today now Councils can administer the fines and keep the proceeds. Because we never hear the full story.
THERE are some good EHO's but some are so consumed by bigotry hate and spite you can't just smell the stench of the third reich you can taste it ,while ever these small minority of monsters have the power to inflict their toxic hate crime on ordinary families trying to give people a decent home you can understand why landlords are selling up in the UK and instead providing homes in countries where they are treated fairly and not subject to discrimination injustice and the sort of vile hate filth they and their children are expected to tolerate in the UK
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