Enforcement on the rise with 532% increase in size of fines in just two months in Greater London

• Total fines of £139,146 were handed out to landlords and letting agents in the most recent month of data, up from £22,000 seen just two months prior

• Local authorities in London have now handed out more than £6.5 million in fines since the Rogue Landlord and Agent (RLAC) checker was launched
• Dramatic increase in levels of fines as councils get back on the streets after lockdown and deploy Rent Repayment Orders to support enforcement in a low cost way

August 4th, 2021 – Geospatial technology firm Kamma  has today released their analysis of the Mayor of London’s Rogue Landlord and Letting Agent Checker (RLAC). The analysis, which runs from the midpoint in each month to the middle of the next, shows a dramatic increase in enforcement activity with total fines hitting £139,146 by the middle of July, more than doubling June’s midpoint figure of £42,500 and a dramatic increase of fines in May that totalled £22,000. Tracking over the three month period shows a combined increase of 532%.

These dramatic increases in fine activity bring total fines to £6.5 million since RLAC was first set up in 2018. Analysis of this data shows that both landlords and agents are at risk with landlords fined more often and agents fined more heavily. The largest single fines ever recorded are £100,000 (for a landlord) and £167,000 (for a letting agent) respectively.

Councils have been under pressure throughout the pandemic with budgets under strain and housing conditions under the spotlight. Whilst the work of Housing Officers has been impacted by lockdown rules and regulations, this data shows a dramatic return to enforcement practices, as Kamma CEO, Orla Shields explained: “Whilst the pandemic seems to have reduced enforcement levels, it did not slow the level of regulation which is higher now than at any time before. With a complex web of regulations now governing the sector and growing levels of enforcement, it is business critical that both agents and their landlords stay on top of compliance requirements”.

Councils are also deploying tenants to support enforcement in a low-cost way by deploying a checker search tool, as well as through Rent Repayment Orders. Tower Hamlets Council has issued almost 70 RROs with the total amount of reclaimed rent at £200,000. With other local authorities following suit it’s more important than ever that agents get up to speed. “As the NRLA has recently pointed out, it’s right that councils enforce their own regulations, which otherwise would be a tax on good landlords, with rogue individuals continuing as before. The danger is that good landlords and letting agents offering high quality homes to market could still get caught out by a change in regulation. With tenants acting as enforcers, agents and landlords have to stay one step ahead.”