A local authority has taken the unusual step of issuing a celebratory press release stating that private rental sector penalties adding up to £304,250 on buy to let investors in the first 11 months of 2018.

Havering council says its action this year included 108 financial penalty notices,16 housing-related notices served to address poor housing standards, plus 181 licence applications.

It total some £144,854 was raised by this one local authority alone in licensing fees, plus another £304,250 in penalty notices.

Councillor Viddy Persaud, Havering’s cabinet member for public protection and safety, says: “The past 11 months have seen us carry out back-to-back enforcement action. Under our landlord scheme, we are successfully rooting out those landlords that think they are above the law. Our message to them is, is they cannot get away with it.

“We won’t tolerate these landlords taking advantage of local families and individuals by providing overcrowded and poorly maintained HMO properties. Our officers will continue with private rental sector penalties to make sure tenants are living safely in private rented accommodation.”