The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) has released a report showing that local councils are not efficiently collecting fines from landlords who violate housing regulations. Less than half of the issued fines have been collected.
Councils handed out £13 million in fines to landlords between 2021 and 2023, but so far, they’ve only managed to gather around £6 million, according to information obtained through Freedom of Information requests.
Reacting to these figures, the NRLA is calling for the appointment of a national chief environmental health officer to lead the enforcement effort against irresponsible landlords. They also suggest that the government should fund recruitment and training to strengthen council enforcement teams and encourage councils to share effective strategies.
NRLA’s CEO, Ben Beadle, expressed concern about how negligent landlords tarnish the image of the good ones and distress tenants. He finds it puzzling that councils are not collecting all the fines, which reduces the intended deterrent effect. Beadle highlights that responsible landlords pay their dues and comply with regulations, yet face the challenge of unenforced fines. He emphasizes the importance of empowering enforcement teams to utilize their existing powers against substandard housing. He warns that without robust enforcement, the new protections planned in the Renters (Reform) Bill might not be successful.
