Rogue landlords to face huge fines for dangerous damp and mould
Landlords in England who neglect dangerous housing conditions such as excessive damp and mold will now face fines of up to £7,000 as local councils are given new enforcement powers.
From Monday, authorities across England will be able to impose fines of up to £7,000 for serious dangers in privately rented homes. These include severe humidity and mold, freezing temperatures, structural problems, fire risks, and faulty electricals.
Housing Minister Steve Reed has written to mayors, urging councils to use these new powers to tackle unsafe housing. The new penalty complements existing measures available to councils, such as requiring repairs, carrying out emergency works and collecting costs from homeowners who do not comply.
Mr Reed said: “Tenants deserve a safe and secure place to call home, and our landmark Tenants’ Rights Bill gives councils more options to take swift action against rogue landlords. These include the power to fine a landlord £7,000 when there is a danger such as severe damp or mold in a privately rented home – something no family should have to live with.”
Alongside the new penalties, the Government is also updating England’s Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS). The revised framework, effective from Tuesday, aims to simplify risk identification for councils and enable faster action to protect tenants across all housing types.
Ben Twomey, chief executive of Generation Rent, commented: “Homes are the foundation of our lives and no tenant should have to live facing mould, damp and other risks to our health. Giving the council the power to fine landlords up to £7,000 if they ignore repairs is an important step towards improving the quality of rental homes. But for tenants to feel this benefit, councils must seek out and take action against landlords who ignore unsafe conditions and profit from it.” misery.”
Clara Collingwood, director of the Tenants Reform Coalition, added: “Homes are the foundation of our lives, but for too long hundreds of thousands of tenants have been living in substandard homes that are damaging to our health and causing serious harm to children and vulnerable adults. It’s great that authorities have new powers to deal with this, and they should start using them immediately to crack down on landlords who profit from unhealthy homes.”
He added: “And now that we have new rights as tenants, we need to use them; every tenant in serious disrepair or living with damp and mold should know they don’t have to put up with this anymore. With new rights and protections and the repeal of section 21 evictions, we can’t be evicted for complaining and we shouldn’t be afraid to report dangerous landlords to the council.”
