20k Fine for Landlords who House Antisocial Tenants
Landlords in Derbyshire who let their tenants behave in an antisocial manner could face fines of up to £20,000. This is in an aim to bring back to life “broken down” communities.
The Derby City Council is looking to create new rules for private landlords that are letting property in areas that have an antisocial problem.
Private Landlords
At the moment public housing providers have to take action against their tenants if they are behaving in an inappropriate fashion however this obligation is not the same for private tenants.
The council is hoping to impose rules which would mean that landlords who are in a certain zone have to be licensed. They are currently looking into rules from the Government to see if this is possible.
Landlords will be required to purchase their own licence which is another additional cost private landlords will encounter on top of others such as landlord insurance.
The new scheme would be put into place in the areas that have had complaints about antisocial behaviour.
Dawn Gee is a private landlord in Derbyshire, she has said, “I certainly think that action should be taken, landlords have a part to play.
“Already, antisocial behaviour, gangs congregating and fly-tipping have driven people away from parts of Normanton.
“If you look down Stanton Street and Porter Road there are properties that are empty and lots of ‘To Let’ signs up.
“The community has broken down and I’m keen on anything that can be bought in to change that.
“But my concern is that it will end up being the law-abiding landlords who engage with this, while those landlords who are the problem will ignore it. How will the council enforce this?”
The Rules
The council haven’t decided which areas they will enforce this new proposal on however they have said there will be a £20,000 fine for those who do not follow the new rules.
There are also some tests to go through before landlords will be able to have a licence. Someone will need to check that their property is safe and that they have no criminal convictions. One of the other criteria is that the landlord will help the police and the council when it comes to antisocial tenants.
The properties also have to fit in with a list of conditions increase fire, gas and electrical safety. The property also needs to be visually acceptable and managed to a good standard. Landlords will also need to get references before they agree a tenancy.