Government to fund rogue landlord crackdown

Government to fund rogue landlord crackdown

9:40 AM, 24th November 2022, About A year ago 34

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The government has today revealed that it will fund councils with high numbers of ‘poor privately rented homes’ in a bid to crack down on rogue landlords and drive-up standards in the private rented sector (PRS).

The announcement by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) will fund:

  • £2.3 million for Greater Manchester – including Rochdale and surrounding councils – to increase the use of fines where a landlord is found to have committed an offence
  • £678,000 for Leeds to use behavioural science to change culture among landlords, improving knowledge and skills
  • £1.14 million for Cornwall to create a database of private rented accommodation in the area and record standards to target better enforcement action.

Help councils maintain private rental sector standards

Propertymark, the professional body for estate and letting agents, welcomed the move to help councils maintain private rented sector standards.

Nathan Emerson, Propertymark’s chief executive, said: “A lack of enforcement and the low number of private rented property inspections by local authorities undermines the current regulatory regime.

“It’s good news that the Secretary of State is allocating further funding in this area, something we have repeatedly called for.”

He added: “Qualified letting agents are well placed to support local authorities in maintaining standards.

“Independent landlords can tap into their knowledge and understanding of the latest legal requirements for the sector to ensure they comply.”

Condemned the social housing provider for failing to treat hazardous mould

The cash announcement comes after the government revealed that it will strip Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) of its expected extra £1m funding from the Affordable Homes Programme after a coroner last week condemned the social housing provider for failing to treat hazardous mould that led to the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak.

RHB will not get any extra money until the Regulator of Social Housing has concluded its investigation and it can prove it is a responsible landlord.

The Government will also continue to monitor the housing standards of RBH tenancies closely, working with the Regulator and Ombudsman, to ensure that tenants have appropriate housing.

Michael Gove, the Housing Secretary, wrote to all councils and housing associations last weekend saying they must raise the bar dramatically on standards and demanding urgent action when people complain about damp and mould.

Holding failing landlords to account for poor safety and quality

However, the government’s announcement today reveals that holding failing landlords to account for poor safety and quality is not just an issue in social housing.

That is why the government is awarding £14 million to seven areas with high numbers of poor privately rented homes to crack down on rogue landlords and test new approaches to driving up standards.

Mr Gove said: “RBH failed its tenants so it will not receive a penny of additional taxpayers’ money for new housing until it gets its act together and does right by tenants.

“Let this be a warning to other housing providers who are ignoring complaints and failing in their obligations to tenants. We will not hesitate to act.”

He added: “Everyone deserves the right to live in a safe, decent home and this government will always act to protect tenants.”


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Comments

Beaver

16:16 PM, 25th November 2022, About A year ago

Reply to the comment left by Hamish McBloggs at 25/11/2022 - 15:47
I don't have a thousand properties. Like most landlords my portfolio is small. In theory a clothes-line or rotary drier is more eco-friendly than an integrated washer/drier, tumble drier or dehumidifier....probably not if they keep going in the skip though... 🙂

For those tenants going into EPC Band A or Band B flats with airtight doors and windows, underfloor heating and air-source heat pumps, when they get back from work, open the doors and windows to get the washing in off the drier thereby letting the hot air out if it takes four hours for the property to heat back up they are probably going to use a clothes rack in the spare bedroom. When they turn the power off to their ventilation and/or heating system or turn the thermostat down in the spare room the black mould is still going to form.

Rerktyne

10:55 AM, 26th November 2022, About A year ago

Every landlord is a “rogue” nowadays because the govt does not the responsibility of housing a rogue tenant. So the new definitions are :
Scum tenant = cherub
Decent landlords = scum.
Government = caring persons.
It’s a deliberate policy designed to flood the market with cheap houses. The morons forget that millions will fall onto negative equity which will lead to , not a depression, but a slump.
It’s the Imbecile factor!

Keith Edwards

17:20 PM, 26th November 2022, About A year ago

It would be interesting to see how many council owned rented properties are not up to these standards also, (like the council property in which a young lad died in due to mould) will these be included on the data base?

Contended Ted

17:00 PM, 5th December 2022, About A year ago

Reply to the comment left by Karl Wilson at 24/11/2022 - 17:25
Thanks for that Karl. I also have a tenant who switches off the isolator to a light controlled fan. The bathroom is in a flat, hence no window. At least now I know there is a solution because in the eyes of the council it’s my fault.

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