With a proposed blacklist of rogue agents and landlords a key part of the Housing and Planning Bill, Landlord Action founder Paul Shamplina is calling for a public blacklist of rogue tenants.

The Bill is currently making its way through Parliament, and proposes giving local authorities powers to ban persistently bad agents and landlords, and impose civil penalties, as well as publish their names in a blacklist available to central and local government.

Now evictions specialist Shamplina is arguing that the list should include rogue tenants, and that all the information should be made widely public.

Shamplina said: “We are constantly hearing about ‘rogue landlords and agents’. But to address issues in the private rental sector, we should also consider ‘rogue tenants’.

“Last year there were 161,000 possession claims issued in England and Wales.

“At present, there is no central database where possession orders with money claims are registered, as the courts do not recognise possession claims with arrears as a County Court Judgement.

“If they did, this information would show up on tenant referencing. At present, a rogue tenant can move from property to property running up rent arrears and it does not show up on referencing unless the landlord goes to additional expense of trying to enforce the money order.

“If we are to protect landlords at pre-let stage, in the same way we wish to protect tenants, this should also be made available.”

He also argued that all the information, including that relating to blacklisted agents and landlords, should be out in the wider public domain.

He said: “The Government is clearly committed to improving standards in the private rented sector. One of the greatest challenges is finding a balance between supporting good landlords and agents, whilst cracking down on criminal activity without burdening the sector with unnecessary, expensive regulation.

“I believe that one of the best ways to do this is by giving the consumer – including landlords and tenants – access to information, allowing them to have freedom of choice about who they rent from.”

Shamplina says making the information available to the wider public would support reputable landlords and agents and act as an effective deterrent.

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