COUNCILS GIVEN POWER TO FINE LANDLORDS UP TO £7,000 FOR HOUSING HAZARDS

Local councils across England gained powers from Monday to issue fines of up to £7,000 to landlords who fail to address serious hazards in privately rented homes. The penalties apply to conditions including severe damp and mould, freezing temperatures, structural defects, fire risks and faulty electrics. Housing Secretary Steve Reed wrote to mayors encouraging councils to use these new enforcement powers. The fines complement existing council tools such as forcing repairs, carrying out emergency works and recovering costs from non-compliant landlords.

Reed stated that renters deserve safe housing and that the Renters' Rights Act provides councils with options to take swift action against what he described as rogue landlords. The Government is also updating the Housing Health and Safety Rating System from Tuesday, with the revised framework intended to simplify how councils identify risks and enable faster action to protect tenants. Ben Twomey, chief executive of Generation Rent, said councils must actively seek out and take action against landlords who ignore unsafe conditions. Clara Collingwood, director at the Renters' Reform Coalition, called the new powers essential and urged authorities to use them immediately to address substandard housing.

The measures form part of the Government's broader approach to rental housing standards. Collingwood stated that hundreds of thousands of renters have lived in substandard homes that damage health and harm children and vulnerable adults. The Government framed the changes as a landmark step in protecting tenant welfare. Implementation now rests with individual councils across England to enforce the new penalty regime.