Housing bill: rogue landlords to be banned
Rogue landlords will be banned from letting property under new measures to be brought in under the Housing and Planning Bill.
The bill was introduced to Parliament by the secretary of state for communities and local government Greg Clark on Tuesday.
The part of the bill about rogue landlords and letting agents allows a banning order to be made where a landlord or letting agent has been convicted of a banning order offence. It also requires for a database of rogue landlords and letting agents to be established.
The bill also allows a rent repayment order to be made against a landlord who has breached a banning order.
Matt Hutchinson, director of flat and house share site SpareRoom.co.uk, said: “The booming rental market has a small but worrying dark side – the rise of unscrupulous landlords and agents who seek to prey on tenants. Getting them out of the market should be a top priority.
“A database of rogue landlords and agents could be a vital tool as long as the information it contains is accurate and accessible to those who need it most.
“But we should be wary of piling lots of extra legislation on the sector. The need to clamp down on the unscrupulous shouldn’t hinder the vast majority of landlords, who do play by the rules and provide the rental accommodation Britain desperately needs.”
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