New enforcement powers against rogue landlords are pointless unless enforced properly, the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) has argued.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) recently confirmed local authorities would be able to fine landlords up to £7,000 if they failed to address poor conditions in their properties.
These powers were formerly introduced under the Renters Rights Act which came into force in May.
However, the NRLA has argued that councils are now using their existing enforcement powers effectively, with many rogue landlords escaping punishment.
The NRLA recently issued Freedom of Information requests to all councils in England to find out how much they had handed out in fines due to PRS regulation breaches.
Of the 285 councils that responded, a total of £29.7m in fines were issued between 2023 and 2025. Only £7.4m of this amount was collected, just under a quarter of the total amount.
Ben Beadle, CEO of the NRLA, argued that increasing fines “misses the point” and a different approach is warranted.
“If the government’s plans are to work, councils need the resources to do the job properly and these figures show that so many do not,” said Ben.
“The government should properly assess enforcement capacity and require councils to publish annual reports on activity to ensure accountability.
“Crucially, this should all be underpinned by the introduction of a new national chief environmental health officer, empowered to lead the charge for better enforcement across government.”
