English councils are set to receive additional funding and training to help crack down on rogue landlords, ahead of new responsibilities coming into force under the Renters' Rights Act on 1 May.
All 317 local authorities in England will share £41 million, building on an earlier £18 million allocation made last autumn. The funding is designed to prepare councils for enhanced powers and obligations under the Act, including a formal duty to enforce rules prohibiting bidding wars between tenants and no-fault evictions.
Landlords who commit serious or repeated breaches could face penalties of up to £40,000, which is £10,000 higher than the current maximum fine.
"Spread across more than 300 local authorities, the additional funding is unlikely to transform enforcement overnight," said David Smith, property litigation partner at London law firm Spector Constant & Williams.
"Many councils already struggle with limited housing enforcement teams, and the new 'duty to enforce' could place significant pressure on existing resources. No amount of money will resolve the shortage of qualified and experienced environmental health officers."
The new duty to enforce places councils under a legal obligation to ensure landlord compliance, rather than leaving action to their discretion. Whether the funding will be sufficient to meet that obligation is already drawing scepticism from legal quarters.
"In practice, compliant landlords are unlikely to notice immediate changes, but those operating outside the rules may face increased scrutiny and higher financial penalties," Smith added. "We are likely to see an increase in disputes as the new legislation beds in and areas of uncertainty are tested through the courts."
