Government claims guidance aims to make landlord fines clearer
9:01 AM, 31st July 2026, 3 weeks ago
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The government has claimed guidance on financial penalties for landlords is “more transparent”.
The government announced will face on-the-spot fines of £7,000 for severe damp and mould, as well as for broken-down boilers during freezing temperatures.
Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook claims the revised Housing Health and Safety System (HHSRS) will make it easier for councils to crack down on landlords who fail to tackle serious hazards.
£7,000 financial penalty
In a written parliamentary question, Conservative MP Andrew Snowden asked: “What steps is the government taking to ensure consistency between local authorities in the application of financial penalties for landlords found to have serious hazards in their rented properties”.
In response, Mr Pennycook said: “A new financial penalty of up to £7,000 for a failure to take reasonably practicable steps to remove a category 1 hazard came into force on 22 June.
“Statutory guidance on new financial penalties is included within revised Housing Health and Safety Rating System Enforcement Guidance published on 23 June. This statutory guidance seeks to provide a clearer, more transparent and more consistent framework for setting civil penalties across England.”
Councils only collecting a fraction of fines
As previously reported by Property118, England’s councils are collecting only a fraction of fines issued for landlord offences, even as local authority inspection numbers grow.
The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) says councils are carrying out more checks under the Housing, Health and Safety Rating System.
However, the collection of financial penalties continues to lag.
The NRLA’s figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show inspections rising from 85,326 across 2021/22 and 2022/23 to 91,620 in 2023/24 and 2024/25.
While that’s a modest 7% increase, previously published data indicates councils are collecting only around a quarter of fines issued to landlords for housing offences.
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Member Since November 2025 - Comments: 17
10:11 AM, 31st July 2026, About 3 weeks ago
Making local authorities (or anybody for that matter) all rolled into one: judges, juries, prosecutors and beneficiaries of financial penalties, is a recipe for corruption and graft. Regardless of the legitimacy and proportionality of any fines that are imposed, there should be a clear separation of powers and monitoring of where the money goes.
Member Since May 2014 - Comments: 163
10:41 AM, 31st July 2026, About 3 weeks ago
It will be made very clear to Pennycook in 2029 that he`s out of a job he`s done poorly.
Member Since November 2025 - Comments: 17
10:46 AM, 31st July 2026, About 3 weeks ago
Reply to the comment left by John MacAlevey at 10:41
Do you think he’ll be there that long? The frequency with which our political class turnover housing secretaries indicates to me that they either don’t take housing very seriously or don’t want to be around long enough to be culpable when their ineptitude hits the fan.
Member Since May 2014 - Comments: 163
10:54 AM, 31st July 2026, About 3 weeks ago
Reply to the comment left by Simon Kinzley at 31/07/2026 – 10:46
Simon, much as I`d wish for it, I dont` think there is a party (Reform) that has the heft currently to take power, insufficient MP`s with real skill & experience of running a country – business.
Member Since November 2025 - Comments: 17
11:32 AM, 31st July 2026, About 3 weeks ago
I don’t think the issue is competence. Politicians tell people what they want to hear rather than telling them the truth and there are many more tenants voting in key marginal constituencies than landlords. I would have no truck with Reform. They are fascistoid, take dodgy money, don’t show up in constituencies or attend committees to do their jobs and are highly culpable in doing immense damage to businesses in this country over the last ten years.
Member Since August 2024 - Comments: 34
2:54 PM, 31st July 2026, About 3 weeks ago
Quote
“as well as for broken-down boilers during freezing temperatures”
So we will be penalised for a broken boiler, let’s say over Christmas, in freezing temperatures….and no-one to fix it is available for a week ??
When I have had an UNEXPECTED boiler breakdown I have provided electric heaters to tenants . Taking an electric reading off the meter, plus one at the boiler fix time has allowed me to help with additional electric costs in agreement with the tenant.
Would the council ENFORCER take that into account,,,,probably not as the fines are needed to pay for the enforcement according to government and the councils.
Member Since September 2022 - Comments: 207
8:19 PM, 31st July 2026, About 3 weeks ago
If you read even some of the HHSRS guidance you will find they want carpet on all stairs !
Not frayed or worn with loose edges
All stairs must be at least 90cm wide, tread depth 28cm-36cm and tread rise 10cm-18cm.
There are hundreds of thousands of older terraced houses up and down the county which fail this Requirement
31 pages long with most HHSRS falling into 4 categories
1 Falls 54%
So make sure the whole ground floor is completely level with No Trip hazards ( we are talking 5mm drop here folks 🙄)
2 Excess cold 21%
The heating must heat the property upto 21c in the living rooms and 18c in all rooms without the the Tenants having to pay a fortune for Gas or Electric
It goes on and on.
Busy times ahead for Estate agents
Member Since October 2016 - Comments: 20
1:40 PM, 1st August 2026, About 3 weeks ago
Reply to the comment left by DAMIEN RAFFERTY at 31/07/2026 – 20:19
5mm is ridiculous. The floor bar between two different floor coverings is often greater.
Some of the HHRS rules seem to have been written by someone that’s never actually been inside a house !