Landlords face fines of up to £30k

Rogue landlords who break the law or put their tenants’ safety at risk face fines of up to £30,000 under new powers introduced by Bath and North East Somerset Council. The housing service team ensures leased properties are maintained to minimum standards and that the occupants are treated fairly - and it prosecutes when it needs to. Now when landlords are not up to scratch, they can be blacklisted by the council, or hit with a fine of up to five figures. It can crack down if they illegally evict their tenants, fail to fit smoke alarms or do not comply with their HMO (house in multiple occupation) licence. A 2016 change to housing introduced fines of between £50 and £30,000 which can be imposed. It will be at the higher end of the scale if the offence is severe, harms or has potential to harm a tenant and if the landlord has a track record. The guidance says it should be set at a “high enough level to help ensure that it has a real economic impact on the offender” to punish him/her, and could be used to deter others from committing similar offences. To impose a fine, the same standard of proof would be necessary as for a prosecution. For minor offences, B&NES Council will typically just caution the landlord. As a last resort, it can impose an order to take away the rent he/she would have been paid for up to a year to remove any significant hazards and to maintain the property. The council can also apply for a temporary or permanent ban on a individual to get them put in a new database of rogue landlords.