Landlords in England who fail to fix dangerous problems such as damp and mould now face fines of up to £7,000.
From Monday, councils across England will gain a new power to issue landlords fines of up to £7,000 for serious hazards in private renters’ homes, such as severe damp and mould, freezing temperatures, structural issues, fire hazards, and faulty electrics.
Housing Secretary Steve Reed has written to mayors and is urging councils to use the powers at their disposal to tackle unsafe housing.
The new penalty sits alongside existing powers councils can use, including forcing repairs, carrying out emergency works and recovering costs from landlords who do not act.
Mr Reed said: “Renters deserve a safe, secure place to call home and our landmark Renters’ Rights Act gives councils more options to take speedy action against rogue landlords.
“These include the new power to issue a £7,000 penalty to a landlord when there is a hazard like severe damp or mould in a privately rented home – a situation that no family should have to live with.”
Alongside the new fines, the Government is updating the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) in England.
The final framework comes into force on Tuesday with the aim of making it easier for councils to spot risks and act quickly to protect tenants in all types of housing.
Ben Twomey, chief executive of Generation Rent, said: “Homes are the foundations of our lives, and no renter should have to live alongside mould, dampness and other risks to our health.
“The council being given the power to fine landlords up to £7,000 if they ignore repairs is an essential step towards raising the quality of rented homes. For renters to feel the benefit, though, councils must seek out and take action against those landlords who ignore unsafe conditions and profit from misery.”
Clara Collingwood, director at the Renters’ Reform Coalition, said: “Homes are the foundation for our lives, but for far too long hundreds of thousands of renters have been living in substandard homes that undermine our health and cause serious harm to children and vulnerable adults.
“It’s great that authorities have new powers to tackle this, and they must start using them immediately to crack down on landlords who profit from unhealthy homes.
“And now that we have new rights as renters, we need to use them – any tenant living with serious disrepair or damp and mould should know they don’t have to put up with it any longer.
“With new rights and protections, and section 21 evictions scrapped, we can’t be evicted for complaining and shouldn’t be afraid to report dodgy landlords to the council.”
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