Councils letting rogue landlords off the hook

Rogue landlords are being let off the hook as new data shows councils have collected just a quarter of the total fines issued to them - losing out on around £22million.

Between 2023/24 and 2024/25 of 285 English councils, a total of almost £30 million in civil penalties were imposed on private landlords for housing offences. In spite of this just a quarter of that amount (almost £7.5 million) was actually collected. 

Overall, almost 3,700 civil penalties were issued to landlords over the same period. 

The research, based on Freedom of Information requests sent to all English councils responsible for enforcement in the private rented sector, was undertaken by the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA). 

With the Renters’ Rights Act, which is due to come into force from 1st May will increase the maximum amount that can be levied in civil penalties from £7,000 to £40,000.

However the data shows that councils are failing to collect the funds they desperately need to fund enforcement action in the market. 

Warning

The NRLA is warning that without a major increase in upfront funding for council enforcement teams, rogue and criminal landlords will continue to slip through the net. Aside from leaving tenants exposed to poor practice, it is undermining the reputation of the vast majority of landlords who meet their responsibilities and provide good quality homes.

In addition, the NRLA is calling on the Government to:

•    Champion better enforcement by establishing a new Chief Environmental Health Officer post which would have a national remit. 

•    Undertake a full assessment of the resources local authority enforcement teams currently have, and will need, to enforce the Renters’ Rights Act.

•    Encourage greater transparency by requiring councils to publish an annual report on enforcement activity related to the private rented sector in their area. 

NRLA Chief Executive Ben Beadle said: "Tenants and the vast majority of responsible landlords will rightly be fed up with our findings. 

"For too long a minority of rogue and criminal operators have allowed to act with impunity, bringing the sector into disrepute.

"It is galling then to see that those breaking the law are still failing to pay the price – leaving good landlords to pick up the tab in licensing fees.

“This also raises serious questions about how ready councils are to enforce the Renters’ Rights Act, and about the adequacy of the upfront funding provided to them to support enforcement action.”

More information

For more detail on the new council powers visit our Renters' Rights Hub here.

For more information on licensing and local government enforcement click here.