It has been announced today that central government is providing an additional £60 million to the 317 local authorities across England. This funding is intended to support their new statutory duty to enforce against landlords who do not meet the requirements of the Renters Rights Act, which is due to commence in just 17 days’ time. Authorities will also be monitored on their enforcement activity and performance within the private rental sector.
Civil penalties are set to increase significantly, with fines of up to £7,000 for a first offence and up to £40,000 for repeat, multiple, or additional offences within a five-year period. It has also been suggested by several Trading Standards and Housing teams that enforcement activity may increase, as local authorities are able to retain the income generated from these penalties. In addition, penalties for failing to comply with a local authority Improvement Notice (issued under the Housing Act 2004 where significant works are required) are also increasing to up to £40,000, including for first offences.
It is important to note that, as these are now civil penalties, local authorities are no longer required to obtain court orders. Instead, offences can be dealt with directly by the authority, provided the threshold criteria under the relevant legislation are met.
As one of our landlords, we want to let you know that we have robust processes in place to ensure that you would remain fully complaint both from the 1st May 2026 and then onwards and need not be concerned about these changes, even as further requirements—such as the Landlord and Property Databases—are introduced.