Landlord association calls for enhanced enforcement efforts
Councils in England are failing to adequately inspect private rented properties for potential hazards, according to data obtained by the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA).
Under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS), local authorities can inspect rented properties following tenant complaints to identify hazards. They can then compel landlords to address the identified issues.
The data revealed that from 2021 to 2023, only one-third of tenant complaints resulted in an HHSRS inspection and that half of all HHSRS inspections were conducted by just 20 local authorities, while 16% of councils could not provide any inspection figures. In addition, 37% of councils were unable to provide housing tenure-specific data related to tenant complaints, indicating poor recordkeeping.
When hazards are found, councils have various enforcement options, including issuing an Improvement Notice to compel landlords to rectify the problems. Landlords receiving such notices are prohibited from serving a section 21 ‘no-fault’ possession notice for six months.
Despite this, only 7% of HHSRS inspections between 2021 and 2023 resulted in an Improvement Notice. Over 50% of these notices were issued by just 20 local authorities, while 23 councils issued none.
The NRLA is urging the next government to publish the promised review of the HHSRS to support improved enforcement against rogue landlords. It also calls for councils to publish annual reports on their enforcement activity in the private rented sector and for the creation of a national chief environmental health officer to enhance enforcement efforts.
“No renters should ever have to put up with unsafe housing,” said Ben Beadle (pictured), chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association. “While ultimately, it is landlords who are responsible for the quality of the housing they provide, tenants must have confidence in councils’ ability to act when renters require assistance.
“Our research paints a worrying picture of councils under strain struggling to respond as they should to tenant complaints. In addition, many do not have the data needed to track enforcement activity properly.
“Calls for new laws to tackle rogue and criminal landlords are distracting from the fact that councils routinely fail to make the best use of the powers available to them. The focus must be on swift, consistent enforcement. This is in the interest of households and responsible landlords.”
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