Local authorities failing to tackle rogue landlords, warns Shelter
Many local authorities are failing to use the powers available to them to tackle rogue landlords, Shelter has claimed.
The housing and homelessness charity contacted every council in the country as part of its research. This found that:
- Local authorities admitted there were 1,477 known landlords who “are giving them continued cause for concern and repeatedly making tenants’ lives a misery”
- The overall number of complaints about landlords had risen to 86,628 in the last year
- Complaints about serious and potentially life-threatening hazards, such as dangerous gas and electrics, had risen by 25% in two years
- Councils brought 270 successful prosecutions over the last 12 months.
Shelter’s Chief Executive, Campbell Robb, said: “The reality is that rogue landlords are out there and they’re getting away with it. Every day at Shelter we see the devastating impact rogue landlords have on peoples’ lives as they remain trapped in homes that cause misery and, in some cases, put lives at risk.
“Local authorities have the powers to tackle rogue landlords but too many aren’t making the most of their armoury. They must follow the lead of those councils taking a zero tolerance approach to rogue landlords, and support tenants who are suffering by cracking down on the worst offenders in their area.”
The charity has now published Rogue Landlord Watch, an interactive map showing landlords that have been prosecuted.
