When Stage 1 of the Renters Rights Act 2025 comes into force on 1 May 2026, Local Authorities will acquire considerable new powers.
These are to fine landlords and letting agents who commit various breaches and offences (explained in the government guidance here).
The problem for many Local Authorities is that they will not have staff with the skills to do this work.
However, it is a problem they will have to overcome. Section 107 of the Renters Rights Act places a legal duty on Local Authorities:
107 Enforcement by local housing authorities: general duty
(1) It is the duty of every local housing authority to enforce the landlord legislation in its area.
What this means is that if Local Authorities fail to adequately enforce the law against rogue and criminal landlords, they are likely to face Judicial Review actions from tenants’ groups. I understand that the various tenants’ organisations are already planning for this. So it will happen.
There is a solution for Local Authorities.
The not-for-profit service Justice for Tenants (which helps tenants with Rent Repayment claims and provides services for Local Authorities) has developed ‘Civil Penalty Notice Generator’ software, which they say can create a fully valid and enforceable Civil Penalty Notice in 10 minutes.
We ran a Local Authority Conference in October 2025, where Al McClenahan of Justice for Tenants gave a talk on Civil Penalty Notices and explained his company’s services.
You can watch the video below:
Any Local Authority Officers who would like to watch the other conference talk recordings can purchase access for a modest fee of £36 (including VAT).
What about landlords?
Some landlords may be spluttering with indignation as they read this, saying, ‘Why are you writing about this on a blog which is mainly for landlords?’
However, this blog is not just for landlords – we cater for all in the PRS, including Local Authorities (although most of our posts are landlord orientated).
But it is in the good landlord’s interest that bad landlords are penalised and ideally fined and prosecuted out of existence.
The fact that they exist in such numbers gives the whole sector a bad name and taints the reputation of the many good landlords.
Rogue and criminal landlords are a blight on society. The devastation they cause is immense. For example, sickness caused by their mostly mould-ridden accommodation is costing the NHS (which we all pay for out of our taxes) millions every year.
One of the aims of the Renters’ Rights Act is to encourage enforcement against these people. Let us hope that it is successful.
Inevitably, though, some good landlords will get caught out and fined as well.
Avoiding enforcement action under the Renters’ Rights Act therefore, will be critical for all landlords, and guidance on how to do this is set out in my new Dealing with Local Authority Enforcement Kit, explained here.
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