Michael Gove Announces Crack Down on Private Landlords

Michael Gove has announced plans to crack down on landlords following the tragic death of two-year old Awaab Ishak due to the presence of hazardous mould in his family's rented home. Gove has said "Everyone deserves the right to live in a safe, decent home and this government will always act to protect tenants."

Fourteen million pounds is going to be divided amongst seven regions that have high numbers of poor private rented homes to help instigate a culture change for landlords and to crack down on rogue landlords.

There has been a rogue landlord database in existence in England since 2016 and councils have to record banning orders in it. However, if an order isn’t served when a landlord has committed a banning order offence then it is down to the council’s discretion as to whether or not to add this to the database.

The 'A Fairer Private Rented Sector' White Paper proposes that “all eligible offences” must be entered into the database and that the information contained in the database should be made publicly available in order to "allow law-abiding landlords to be distinguishable from criminals."

Nathan Emerson, Propertymark’s chief executive, said: “A lack of enforcement and the low number of private rented property inspections by local authorities undermines the current regulatory regime. It’s good news that the Secretary of State is allocating further funding in this area, something we have repeatedly called for. Qualified letting agents are well placed to support local authorities in maintaining standards.”

If are a landlord in Preston, Leyland, Chorley or the surrounding areas and would like to know how to ensure your properties are compliant with the hundreds of laws, we can help. Give us a call on 01772 284606.