A new crackdown on rogue agents and landlords will come into force within weeks.
From April 6 onwards, agents and landlords could face prosecution, with fines and ‘instant’ civil penalties of up to £30,000.
The fines will be where agents and landlords have failed to take action on over-crowding, hazardous conditions, poor sanitation, electrical faults, damp and vermin infestation.
The measure are to be implemented under the Housing and Planning Act.
Those agents and landlords that repeatedly break the rules will be banned from operating in the private rented sector – and placed on a blacklist.
The blacklist, however, will only be accessible to local and central government – not to members of the public using letting agents, and not to employers or recruitment companies in the sector.
Income raised by fines will be used by local councils to raise standards.
Local authorities will also be able to receive details from tenancy deposit protection schemes, to build a picture of the rental market in their area.
ARLA said: “We hope this will reduce the number of local authority licensing schemes.”
I can see this being very popular with councils wishing to find further income. We have all seen how enthusiastic they can be when they took over parking controls. Similarly when they took over CCTV using it for generating parking fines. The same has applied to councils introducing borough-wide licensing schemes. ARLA seem to be a bit green if they really think councils will miss the opportunity of fund raising by reducing licensing schemes. Any fines should go to government in order to prevent further rogue councils whose incentive is income generation. The borough in which I live have a very very sharp parking team and do not enforce littering laws – reason is motorists are readily traceable and enforcement is easy – litter offenders are not and can give false names and be difficult to trace. Landlords are traceable and will be an easy touch for the less ethical councils out there.
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What about rogue tenants? All very one sided and blinkered.
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Well, lets hope they fine themselves them there councils, some of their properties are shocking!
Also when they use a company to house their homeless will they fine themselves when the landlord has specifically said only two in the 2 bedroom property and they find 4????
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