20^th Dec 2015

The government this week starting Sunday 20^th December, will be announcing new laws to tackle the rogue landlords and letting agents.

Housing Minister Brandon Lewis has just tweeted affirmation of his new proposals. The news has been conveniently leaked to the Sun newspaper and confirms suspicions of the sector, that there will be a huge clampdown.

The proposals for the new regulations will and will form part of the new Housing and Planning Bill which MPS will be debating after their Christmas return to Westminster.

The new measures will include:

The new rogue landlord and letting database that will be created and used by local authorities.

New powers given to councils to ‘award’ civil penalty notices to continual offenders, which the Sun quotes will “provide an instant deterrent for criminal operators”.

A new levy of fines will be introduced of up to £30,000, for landlords and lettings agents who rent out hazardous and filthy properties. Those particularly targeted will be those failing to put right any overcrowding, unsafe, damp and poor sanitation issues.

Constant offenders will be banned from letting out ‘homes’.

The Sun quotes Lewis saying: “The private rental sector is still afflicted by too many rogues, who rent dangerous, dirty and overcrowded properties without a thought for the welfare of their tenants. We are determined to crack down.”