Councils across England have been given an extra £41m to help enforce the Renters' Rights Act.
Councils across England have been given an extra £41m to help enforce the Renters Rights Act.
This follows an initial commitment of £18.2m made to 317 local authorities last Autumn.
The Act, due to come into force from 1st May, will see councils given new powers. They will be legally obliged to make sure all landlords comply with rules that ban practices like rental bidding wars, discrimination against tenants with children and ‘no fault’ evictions.
At the same time, fines will increase from a maximum of £30,000 to £40,000, and councils will be able to claw more money back in terms of rent repayment orders. If rules under the act aren’t followed, the rental repayment order period will increase from one year to two.
“We’ve been preparing councils to use their new powers on the minority of landlords who rip off their tenants and this new funding will help councils carry out their duties,” said housing secretary Steve Reed.
“Stronger powers and fines will help deter wrongdoing in the first place, as we work towards a better rental system that’s fairer to tenants and good landlords.”
Elsewhere, the government is investing up to £50m into civil courts and digitalising the courts process to help disputes be handled more efficiently. An additional £5m is being invested into fee uplifts for the housing legal aid sector each year, so renters can continue to access free help and support in the event they face eviction.
Generation Rent CEO Ben Twomey added: “The Renters’ Rights Act is a vital step in addressing the power imbalance between tenants and landlords.
“But the law will only reach into people’s homes and make a positive difference to their lives if councils are able to take actions against landlords who don’t follow the new rules.
“Therefore, we’re pleased to see the government commit further funding for councils, boosting their ability to make sure renters feel the benefit of the changes from May 1st.”
