The government has pledged to create a £2 million fund for local councils, which will help them tackle the problem of rogue landlords.
“This funding will help further strengthen councils’ powers to tackle rogue landlords and ensure that poor-quality homes in their area are improved, making the housing market fairer for everyone,” says Heather Wheeler, the minister for housing.
Stamping Out Criminal Landlords
The government says the money can be used to support projects set up to tackle criminal landlords. Critics say this fund works out at only £6,000 per council, so it is unlikely to make a difference.
“It’s encouraging that the government recognises the need for local authorities to step up action, although £2m will not go far, given the scale of the problem and the challenges in making a real impact while also protecting the tenants in the properties,” says tenant charity, Advice4Renters.
This announcement comes hot on the heels of an investigative report that revealed convicted rogue landlords are continuing to earn money from properties. To make matters worse, a database set up to record the names of rogue landlords, which was supposed to be accessible to tenants, is still empty six months on.
Most Tenants are Happy
There are estimated to be around 10,500 rogue landlords in the UK. Despite this, 82% of tenants claim to be happy with their homes in the private rental sector. Nevertheless, tenant charities and pressure groups are hoping the government makes more money available to tackle the problem of rogue landlords when the revisions to the Housing Act come into effect next year.
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