Section: Private Sector Housing
Cash for Councils to Stop Rogue Landlords
Posted 02.01.14
Housing Minister Kris Hopkins has announced
that councils across the country will receive a £4 million cash boost to tackle rogue landlords in their area.
Twenty three councils will share the funding, so that they can take on the unscrupulous landlords that force tenants to live in squalid and dangerous properties.
The allocations will enable councils to build on their work to root out 'beds in sheds'. Since 2011, more than 500 of these illegally-rented outhouses have been discovered and action taken against the owners, with nine councils having already received a share of £2.6 million to tackle the problem.
The Housing Minister confirmed that this latest funding is part of a package of measures that will ensure millions of private sector tenants get a better deal. He also revealed that:
- New legislation, which came into force in December 2013, will enable courts to take account of landlords' assets, as well as their income, when levying fines for housing offences.
- Redress schemes for lettings and property management will now be able to come forward. All agents will be required to join one of the approved schemes, so their tenants have somewhere to turn if they don't get the service they deserve.
- The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors have agreed to help develop a voluntary code of practice on property management, and will host a workshop this month to get the work started. The code will set standards for the management of rental properties, so tenants know what level of service they should expect from their landlord.
