The Renters Rights Bill will fail unless it includes sufficient enforcement protocols, the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) has argued.
The bill, which has progressed to the House of Lords, has been designed to improve tenancy standards across the country.
In a new report, the NRLA has warned resource-strapped local authorities may struggle to enforce the Renters Rights Bill if it becomes law.
According to Freedom of Information requests by the NRLA, under half of all fines levied against rogue landlords were collected by English councils between 2021 and 2023.
During this time, 49% of English councils failed to issue a single fine against rogue landlords.
The NRLA is now calling on the government to publish a full assessment of local authorities’ resources and what they will need to enforce the proposed bill.
Additionally, the NRLA is recommending councils be required to publish annual reports on how they enforce the PRS in their given area and that new steps are required to avoid duplication between the planned PRS database and authorities’ licensing schemes.
The NRLA also wants to see the creation of a new national post - a chief environmental health officer - to champion better enforcement.
“If planned reforms are to work, councils need to up their game at finding and rooting out those who have no place renting property out and making it easier for the law-abiding majority to provide decent and safe homes,” said Ben Beadle, CEO at the NRLA.
“Without further action, the only winners from all this will be the minority of unscrupulous landlords.”
