Landlords in England who neglect dangerous housing conditions, including severe damp and mould, now face fines of up to £7,000 as new enforcement powers are granted to local councils.
From Monday, authorities across England will be able to issue penalties of up to £7,000 for serious hazards in privately rented homes. These include severe damp and mould, freezing temperatures, structural issues, fire risks, and faulty electrics.
Housing Secretary Steve Reed has written to mayors, urging councils to utilise these new powers to tackle unsafe housing. The new penalty complements existing measures available to councils, such as forcing repairs, carrying out emergency works, and recovering costs from non-compliant landlords.
Mr Reed stated: “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 revised framework, effective from Tuesday, aims to simplify risk identification for councils, enabling quicker action to protect tenants across all housing types.
Ben Twomey, chief executive of Generation Rent, commented: “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, added: “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.
She added: “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.”
