The government is to put in place new banning orders to curb rogue landlords and property agents.
The banning orders would be put in place when rogue landlords commit serious offences against tenants – which could include failing to carry out work required by the council to prevent a health and safety risk to tenants, threatening tenants with violence, or illegally evicting tenants.
If a landlord or property agent is subject to a banning order, they could be prevented from letting or managing a property indefinitely – and their name would also be included in a national database of rogue landlords and property agents.
There will be a consultation on which offences committed by rogue landlords or property agents should constitute a banning order offence.
Housing Minister Gavin Barwell said:
“Banning orders will allow us to drive out the worst offenders and help make sure millions of hard working private tenants across the country are protected from exploitation.
“While the vast majority of landlords are responsible, we are determined to tackle the minority who abuse and exploit vulnerable people.
“As part of the government’s commitment to improving standards within the private rented sector, banning orders will protect tenants and target the small minority of poor landlords and property agents – they will also help local authorities to take robust and effective action against rogues who knowingly rent out unsafe and substandard accommodation.”
The banning orders will force the most serious and prolific offenders to either drastically improve the standard of the accommodation they rent out – or to leave the sector entirely, with a minimum ban lasting 12 months and no upper limit for a maximum ban.
Those subject to banning orders will also not be able to earn income from renting out housing, or engaging in letting agency or property management work.
Landlords could also find that their property could be made the subject of a management order by the local authority, which allows the council to rent out the property instead.
Other measures introduced in the Housing and Planning Act 2016 to tackle rogue landlords include a database of rogue landlords and property agents who have been convicted of banning order offences, or received two or more civil penalties.
There will also be an extension of Rent Repayment Orders to cover illegal eviction, breach of a banning order, or failure to comply with a statutory notice – and civil penalties up to £30,000 as an alternative to prosecution for offences under the Housing Act 2004.
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