Campaigns briefing - Tackling rogue landlords
By: Mark Thomas Published: September 2010
Most private landlords are responsible and honest in how they deal with their tenants and look after their properties. But a minority of landlords are exploitative or even threatening in their treatment of tenants, including wilfully putting tenants at risk by refusing to do essential repairs and maintenance.
- Campaigns briefing - Tackling rogue landlords (PDF 2.1 MB)
Summary
A recent survey with the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) found that of those officers working on housing enforcement in the private rented sector, nine out of ten had encountered landlords engaging in harassment or illegal eviction, and 78% had dealt with landlords who persistently refuse to maintain their property to a safe condition.
The damage that rogue landlords cause to the lives of often vulnerable tenants is enormous, and can spread to the wider neighbourhood, with rundown properties blighting communities. National Government needs to wake up to the problem and work with councils to implement a tough programme of action to tackle it.
