London council unveils £30,000 fines for errant landlords

A London council has launched a tougher stance against landlords in the private rented sector by introducing stringent financial penalties to uphold housing quality.

It has updated its Civil Penalty Notice (CPN) policy for dishing out financial fines under the Housing Act 2004.

Haringey council says it will be targeting landlords who flout regulations with fines of up £30,000 per violation.

Holding landlords accountable

The council’s cabinet member for housing and planning and deputy leader, Cllr Sarah Williams, said: “This policy change demonstrates our commitment to holding landlords accountable and ensuring all residents in Haringey have access to safe, high-quality housing.

“By increasing penalties and streamlining our enforcement strategy, we are sending a strong message – breaking the law will have serious consequences and we will simply not tolerate it.”

She added: “We remain committed to supporting our good landlords whilst also cracking down on illegal landlord practices and raising housing standards across the borough.”

Landlords operating illegally

The council claims it wants to create a climate where landlords realise that operating illegally is far less lucrative than following the rules.

The revised penalty system also introduces steeper initial fines based on the severity of the violation.

For instance, ignoring an Improvement Notice could result in a £22,500 fine for landlords, while failing to license a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) begins at £17,500.

Each case will be evaluated, the council says, on its own merits to guarantee ‘fairness’.

Crackdown on unlicensed PRS properties

Last month, Haringey revealed that a crackdown on unlicensed PRS properties in the borough led to fines exceeding £20,000.

In Tottenham, a landlord was fined £1,500 for not licensing an HMO housing six tenants – when he didn’t know there were six tenants – while the subletting tenant faced a £5,000 fine.

In South Tottenham, a £10,000 fine was upheld after an unannounced visit found five tenants sharing facilities in an unlicensed property.

Two landlords in Northumberland Park and Wood Green received civil penalties of £1,750 and £2,000 for ignoring the selective property licensing scheme, effective since November 17, 2022, despite warnings.

Haringey’s revised CPN policy can be found on its website.