Non-compliant private landlords could be hit with £40,000 fine
Lewisham Council has launched a new taskforce aimed at identifying non-compliant landlords and improving standards in the private rented sector (PRS).
The rogue landlords taskforce will use data, local intelligence and targeted inspections to identify PRS properties where landlords or other responsible people may be failing to meet their legal duties.
Focusing on proactive enforcement, the initiative will inspect licensed properties where there are concerns about compliance as well as suspected unlicensed properties and areas where intelligence suggests poor housing conditions, fly-tipping or poor waste management may be linked to private rented accommodation.
Enforcement action could include fines up to £40,000, statutory notices or prosecution.
PRS homes account for around a third of the London borough’s housing stock. The council already operates property licensing schemes to help regulate private rented properties and take action where landlords fail to meet required standards.
The local authority has issued 153 enforcement notices in this financial year so far, almost as many as in the whole of the previous year (155). It has also handed out £160,875 worth of fines since April, more than double the amount issued during the previous 12 months.
The taskforce will prioritise wards where data suggests there is a higher likelihood of non-compliance, including areas with suspected unlicensed properties or a history of enforcement action.
Meanwhile, another London borough has introduced a new empty homes taskforce in a bid to bring hundreds of vacant council homes back into use.
Southwark Council has recruited 10 people for up to three months to “clear a backlog of empty homes” with a £105,000 investment.
The aim is to reduce the amount of time a home sits empty between tenants by improving preparation processes and ensuring all homes are compliant before a new resident moves in.
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