Council boosts landlord enforcement funding ahead of the Renters’ Rights Act

A city council has unveiled a huge cash injection to deal with ‘rogue’ landlords ahead of the Renters’ Rights Act being implemented in May.

It says that landlords will face increased scrutiny as the council prepares for new enforcement duties tied to the rental reforms.

City of Wolverhampton Council has confirmed it will commit an extra £714,000 during the 2026/27 financial year to strengthen its private sector housing enforcement activity.

The cash will support investigations, regulatory work and legal action linked to housing standards in the PRS.

Excellent Wolverhampton landlords

The council’s cabinet member for city housing, Councillor Steve Evans, said: “We recognise there are many excellent landlords in Wolverhampton who provide a very valuable housing offer.

“However, we will not tolerate rogue landlords taking advantage of tenants and we will use powers to investigate and take action, which can include using court injunctions and prosecution.

“There are ever growing demands in this sector, which is why we have taken steps to provide extra funding that will enable the team to protect residents in line with the Renters’ Rights Act.”

He added: “This is part of a wider package of housing measures aimed at improving living standards across Wolverhampton for all residents.”

“Thanks to our track record of managing our money well, combined with a positive financial settlement from government, we’ve been able to provide the necessary support for this work in the private rented sector and invest in other priority areas for our residents.”

Council’s RRA responsibilities

The council’s move comes as the Act introduces new statutory responsibilities for local authorities around landlord regulation and tenant protections.

Councils will be required to take a more proactive role in overseeing the sector.

That includes enforcing landlord legislation, investigating suspected breaches, issuing civil penalties and reporting on enforcement activity.

Investigatory powers will also be expanded and authorised officers will be able to obtain information from landlords, agents, banks and other organisations.

They will also be able to enter premises where offences are suspected.

Extra work demands

Meanwhile, pressure on Wolverhampton’s private sector housing service has increased during the past five years.

Work has included high-rise building safety activity, damp and mould cases, and enforcement linked to the Supported Housing Improvement Programme.

Illegal eviction cases have also required intervention, and the number of service requests has tripled, with officers dealing with more complex cases.

The extra money is intended to allow the authority to meet both existing responsibilities and its new enforcement duties.