Calls by housing charity Shelter for local authorities to prosecute landlords who wilfully ignore laws aimed at protecting tenants have been backed by the National Landlords Association (NLA) and the British Property Federation (BPF).
The charity says that “the damage that rogue landlords cause to the lives of often vulnerable tenants is enormous and can spread to the wider neighbourhood, with rundown properties blighting communities”.
The NLA is today calling on local authorities to give enforcement a higher priority and deal firmly with rogue landlords who choose to exploit their tenants.
David Salusbury, chairman of the NLA, said: “We roundly condemn the worst excesses in the private-rented sector where a small minority of landlords choose to exploit their tenants by offering sub-standard property which can endanger lives. This is unacceptable and local authorities must act.
“We agree with Shelter that most private landlords are responsible and honest in how they deal with their tenants and look after the properties. But where landlords wilfully ignore the rules and regulations put in place to protect tenants, landlords should expect severe penalties.
“Local authorities simply must do better by adopting a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to those landlords who wilfully break the law.
“If this rogue element within the sector goes unchallenged, then reputable landlords are tarnished and the image of the private-rented sector is damaged,” he said.
The BPF said action was essential given the huge growth in private renting over the past 10 years, which has seen 1.1m additional households finding a home in the sector – accounting for almost all housing growth since 2000.
Commenting on the Shelter campaign, Ian Fletcher, director of policy at the BPF, said: “Simply embedding something in law doesn’t of itself make things happen. Standards are as much about the people in the sector, landlords, tenants and local authorities, and how they react.
“The private rented sector has made huge strides over the past decade to provide better quality accommodation, but the perception of the sector is still often shaped by a few “bad apples”, rather than the many decent landlords out there providing a good service. We want to see that change,” he said.
christian.metcalfe@estatesgazette.com
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