North Yorkshire Council is set to arm itself with the power to fine rogue landlords up to £30,000. 

The council’s executive will consider adopting the first county-wide housing standards enforcement policy on Tuesday (August 20), amid concerns an increasing number of private rental properties are putting the health and wellbeing of tenants at risk.

At present, some housing enforcement functions cannot be delivered in all areas of the council as they were not previously adopted by the former borough and districts.

In December, the government’s English Housing Survey reported that 15% of dwellings nationwide failed to meet the Decent Homes Standard, while 8% were found to have hazards where tenants risked serious injury or death.

It found the proportion of private rented homes with a damp problem had risen from 7% to 9% since before the pandemic.

The move in North Yorkshire follows the number of private rented households in the county rising by almost 8,100 to 51,149 in the decade to 2021, and studies finding more than half of those properties were at least 95 years old.

A ‘State of the Nation’ report, procured by the council earlier this year, identified some 38 areas in the county with higher-than-average levels of private rented accommodation, deprivation and poor health.

It also follows the council launching a crackdown on rogue landlords last year after securing a £1.4m government grant, in which it recruited nine extra enforcement officers.

Responding to the council’s move, one landlord said:

Nevertheless, the council’s executive member for housing, councillor Simon Myers, said improving and increasing enforcement activity through inspections and joint working with partners would help to ensure that residents were safe.

An officer’s report to the executive states the council is considering whether to introduce ‘selective licensing’, which requires all landlords of privately rented properties to obtain a licence and be inspected during the five-year licence period, into areas other than Scarborough, where it has already been introduced.

The report added the the policy would allow the council to use approaches ranging from advice to enforcement, depending on factors such as the severity of hazards and history of poor management practices.

The enforcement policy will create a small amount of income for the council, and also allows for the use of financial penalties of up to £30,000 as a deterrent against non-compliant landlords, lettings agents and property managers.

Fines under the policy include up to £5,000 for letting agents and property managers for not belonging to an approved redress scheme.

The policy states: 

The policy adds landlords who do not comply with electrical safety regulations can be fined up to £30,000, and that all costs for remedial action will be recovered by the council.