We are introducing charges for issuing ‘Improvement Notices’ to landlords who fail to carry out work to make sure private rented homes meet required standards.
The measure is being taken as part of our work to improve privately rented homes in the city.
The new charges will be introduced from 2 January 2024 for issuing improvement notices and other notices under the Housing Act 2004 and our Private Sector Housing Enforcement Policy.
The aim is to cover the cost of taking enforcement action, with the charge made to the landlord where a responsible person does not engage with us.
The cost will be on a case by case basis, depending on the staff time involved and expenses incurred. We estimate it will be around £500.
Many landlords run their properties responsibly, but issues reported to the council show the standard of private rented homes across the city is not consistent.
Our private sector housing team can step in to request improvements – for example requiring a landlord to repair a leaking roof or deal with a potential hazard, such as a missing staircase banister.
In the majority of cases, landlords carry out the required work without the need for enforcement action.
However, if they fail to do so, we can take enforcement action by issuing an improvement notice. In these cases, a charge will be made for the cost of issuing the notice.
If the landlord does not comply with the notice, we will still consider prosecution or a financial penalty, as we do now.
If the charge is not paid by the landlord, it will be placed as a local land charge to be recovered when the property is sold or until the invoice is paid.
Councillor Gill Williams, chair of the Housing & New Homes Committee, said: “We are committed to tackling problems in the city’s private rented homes and taking a stronger approach to landlords who don’t look after their properties or respect their tenants’ rights to enjoy their home.
“We know there are a lot of responsible landlords, but we also hear time and again from residents about other landlords who fail to maintain their properties.
“Our private sector housing team works with landlords to bring about improvements in rental accommodation.
“Under the Deregulation Act 2015, improvement notices can protect tenants from revenge evictions when they’ve complained about the condition of a property. This is an important focus of our work to make sure private tenants are protected.
“We are introducing charges to cover the costs incurred by the council of enforcing improvements in this way.”
Councils have the option to charge for improvement and other notices under Section 49 of the Housing Act 2004.
We’re currently consulting on proposals to introduce 2 new property licensing schemes aiming to drive improvement in the city’s private rented homes.
The proposals are for a new Additional Licensing scheme for smaller Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) and a Selective Licensing Scheme for all private rented homes in certain areas.
Additional and selective licensing are schemes local authorities can introduce to address issues such as poor management standards and poor property conditions.
The consultations are open until Wednesday 3 January 2024.
