From Monday, councils across England have been granted new powers to issue fines of up to £7,000 to landlords who fail to fix dangerous hazards in private rented properties. The penalties target serious issues such as severe damp and mould, freezing temperatures, structural problems, fire risks, and faulty electrics.
New Penalties Under the Renters' Rights Act
The fines are part of the government's Renters' Rights Act, which Housing Secretary Steve Reed has championed as a landmark reform. In a letter to mayors, Reed urged councils to use these powers to tackle unsafe housing. The £7,000 penalty sits alongside existing council tools, including forcing repairs, carrying out emergency works, and recovering costs from non-compliant landlords.
Reed stated: “Renters deserve a safe, secure place to call home, and our landmark Renters’ Rights Act gives councils more options to take speedy action against rogue landlords. These include the new power to issue a £7,000 penalty to a landlord when there is a hazard like severe damp or mould in a privately rented home – a situation that no family should have to live with.”
Updated Housing Health and Safety Rating System
Alongside the fines, the government is updating the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) in England. The final framework comes into force on Tuesday, designed to make it easier for councils to identify risks and act quickly to protect tenants across all housing types.
Reactions from Tenant Advocacy Groups
Ben Twomey, chief executive of Generation Rent, welcomed the move but stressed the need for enforcement. He said: “Homes are the foundations of our lives, and no renter should have to live alongside mould, dampness and other risks to our health. The council being given the power to fine landlords up to £7,000 if they ignore repairs is an essential step towards raising the quality of rented homes. For renters to feel the benefit, though, councils must seek out and take action against those landlords who ignore unsafe conditions and profit from misery.”
Clara Collingwood, director at the Renters’ Reform Coalition, added: “Homes are the foundation for our lives, but for far too long, hundreds of thousands of renters have been living in substandard homes that undermine our health and cause serious harm to children and vulnerable adults. It’s great that authorities have new powers to tackle this, and they must start using them immediately to crack down on landlords who profit from unhealthy homes. And now that we have new rights as renters, we need to use them – any tenant living with serious disrepair or damp and mould should know they don’t have to put up with it any longer. With new rights and protections, and section 21 evictions scrapped, we can’t be evicted for complaining and shouldn’t be afraid to report dodgy landlords to the council.”
