Councils fail to prosecute criminal landlords

Councils across England and Wales received nearly half a million complaints about landlord misconduct in five years, but they took fewer than 1,300 landlords to court.

More than 100 councils admitted to not prosecuting a single landlord during this period.

Data from Public Interest Lawyers shows that the average council now prosecutes just one landlord per year.

‘Enforcing the forthcoming Renters’ Rights Bill’

The Renters’ Reform Coalition, a group of 20 organisations advocating for stronger tenant protections, believes the issue lies in a lack of resources rather than a lack of will.

Tom Darling, the group’s director, said: “These are worrying findings.

“The key problem councils face here is ultimately a lack of resources, after years of rising costs and shrinking budgets.”

He added: “We’ve called on the government to provide local authorities – who will have the crucial role of enforcing the forthcoming Renters’ Rights Bill – with the additional funding and guidance they need to protect renters from rogue landlords.”

Holding landlords accountable

Beverley Faulkner, a housing disrepair specialist at JF Law, emphasised the importance of holding landlords accountable.

She said: “All renters deserve to feel safe and secure in the property they pay to live in.

“Unfortunately, that does not always happen.

“The local authority being unable or unwilling to take action against a landlord could leave a renter feeling like justice has not been done.”

Ms Faulkner adds: “However, they could seek a fair outcome through a civil claim. If negligence by a landlord causes someone to suffer harm, for example through illness caused by damp and mould, they could make a personal injury claim.”

Breaches of housing regulations

The report found that most prosecutions related to breaches of housing regulations, particularly for Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs).

Some landlords were penalised for harassment or illegal eviction.

While councils argue that civil penalties and warnings are sufficient, the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) revealed that less than half of fines issued to criminal landlords were collected.