Earlier this month, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, called for a national rogue landlord database after announcing that under just a million tenants in London have accessed the Rogue Landlord and Agent Checker and property Licence Checker. At the same time, secretary of State Michael Gove has also announced funding for seven councils to test new methods of enforcement on rogue private landlords. All of which indicates that licensing enforcement will continue to be a priority across the country in the next couple of months.
At Kamma, we understand that property licensing is complex, inconsistent, and ever changing. Our technology and software cuts through that complexity to keep you on top of all the changes with clear and accurate advice. We analyse and sort data to help agents, landlords and surveyors understand the impact of Property Licensing and Planning Permission on their properties and assets. We leverage technology and data to help agents and landlords stay on top of new property licensing schemes and avoid licensing fines.
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November Top Rogue Landlords
Landlord fined £22,000 over block of flats in London
The landlord of a block of flats which left leaseholders and tenants living in squalid and unsafe conditions for years has been fined £22,000. Islington-based property company failed to fix problems including a leaking roof, damp, mould, and a pigeon infestation – some of which had been reported more than a decade ago. Barkingside Magistrates Court heard that it had also ignored multiple abatement notices from Barking and Dagenham Council.
Housing officers received complaints from residents in shops on the ground floor and maisonette flats on the first and second floor in Dagenham. They issued two abatement notices – one for a pigeon infestation in the roof and the other for the leaking roof – however the landlord and its company which bought the building in 1993, ignored the notices and failed to carry out any maintenance. Along with the £22,000 fine, it was also ordered to pay £150 costs and a £190 victim surcharge.
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Nottingham landlords could be fined £5,000 for renting homes with low energy ratings
Private Landlords in Nottingham could be fined £5,000 if their property’s EPC rating is below E. As part of the council’s ‘Carbon Neutral Nottingham 2020-2028 Action Plan’, the council is hoping to reduce fuel poverty in the city and eliminate properties with E, F or G banded EPC ratings. The move, confirmed in a delegated decision by the authority, comes as households across Nottinghamshire continue to face rising bills. An EPC rating is valid for 10 years and gives a property an energy efficiency rating, with A being the best and G the worst.
The decision notice states: “Nottingham City Council remains committed to improving housing conditions within the private rented sector and has most recently secured funding from the Department of Levelling Up Housing and Communities (DLUHC) to undertake the identification of those properties that have an EPC rating below E, which are being privately rented to tenants. This has enabled Nottingham City to undertake the ‘Ask and Warn’ stages within the Safer Housing Enforcement Policy, however, Nottingham City Council has been unable to undertake all steps of this policy.
Landlord slapped with £16,000 fine for ‘hazardous conditions’
A landlord has been slapped with a £16,000 fine for ‘hazardous’ living conditions at a rented property in Cromer. The owner of the home on New Street was first told to address the issues in January 2021 but failed to act. An inspection in August last year confirmed the accommodation contained hazards including excess cold and electrical disrepair. The tenant had first raised concerns with the managing agent in September 2020 and then with North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) in December of that year.
An environmental protection officer visited the property in August 2021 to determine whether remedial works had been completed to address the hazards. But the inspection confirmed that no remedial works had been undertaken and an Improvement notice was subsequently served, followed by a final notice to issue a financial penalty. The landlord appealed against the fine but this was dismissed by the Residential Properties Tribunal at a hearing on September 28.
