Tenant group slams council for failing to crack down on rogue landlords

A tenant group has claimed a council has “failed to put its money where its mouth is” by not doing enough to tackle rogue landlords.

A story by Edinburgh Live says Living Rent has hit out at Edinburgh council for not allocating funding in its latest budget for enforcement in the private rented sector (PRS).

However, the council insists it remains committed to enforcement in the PRS.

Stand up against rogue landlords

Living Rent had called on the local authority to commit £350,000 in its budget towards enforcement against rogue landlords.

However, the Labour-run Edinburgh Council did not include the funding in a budget deal agreed last week.

Georgia Dodsworth, chair of Living Rent’s Leith branch, criticised the move, she told Edinburgh Live: “The council already has a wide range of powers it could use to crack down on landlords who break the law.

“But regulations mean nothing if they are not properly enforced. By failing to put its money where its mouth is, the council has made it clear that it is not serious about doing what it takes to stand up to the rogue landlords putting tenants through hell.”

The Green party also criticised the move claiming the council hiring six more staff members to deal with enforcement was “cost-effective”.

Green councillor and co-convener Chas Booth said: “Councillors heard harrowing stories from Living Rent about the awful conditions some private tenants are enduring.

“The need for more council resources to support tenants and hold dodgy landlords to account is plain for all to see and the Green proposal to employ six more officers was costed and evidence-based.”

Committed to PRS enforcement

However, the council claimed they are tackling rogue landlords in the city and remain committed to PRS enforcement.

Finance convener and Labour councillor Mandy Watt told Edinburgh Live: “The annual budget for the PRS Enforcement Team already sits at £790,000 with a further increase of £167,000 proposed, as reported to the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee in February.

“This followed on from the report considered by the Regulatory Committee in January.

“As part of the budget, we requested a further report to the Finance and Resources Committee on what extra resources and powers would be required to protect tenants from landlords who don’t adequately maintain their properties.

“We remain committed to ensuring that this sector is properly regulated and enforced.”

The news comes after councils in England have powers under the Renters’ Rights Act to carry out surprise inspections, including entering premises where tenancy records are kept, and to issue fines running into thousands of pounds.

Several councils in England have also hired extra staff to deal with selective licensing.