More than 100 local councils have failed to prosecute rogue landowners over the past five years, new evidence has revealed.
A Freedom of Information (FOI) request by legal claims firm Public Interest Lawyers revealed that 115 authorities failed to take property owners to court, but these figures do not require court action. Does not include fines. 
This figure accounted for 46% of councils that responded to FOI, and 80% of the total in England and Wales.
A further 49 people brought legal action against lone landlords in the five years to March 2024.
formal warning
Most of the prosecutions related to failure to comply with prohibition notices or regulatory violations regarding HMOs. In some cases, landlords have been punished in court for harassing or evicting illegal tenants.
According to public interest lawyers, some boards argue that formal warnings as well as civil penalties are sufficient to keep landlords in compliance.
Beverly Faulkner, a home repair expert at law firm JF Law, said: “The inability or unwillingness of local governments to take action against landlords means that tenants are being denied justice.'' There is a possibility that you will feel that there is no such thing.”
“However, they may be able to seek a fair outcome through civil litigation. If a landlord's negligence causes someone to suffer damage, for example due to damp or mold-related illness, they may be able to pursue a personal injury claim. there is.”
The main problem Congress faces here is ultimately a lack of resources. ”
Tom Darling, director of the Tenant Reform Coalition, said: The main problem Congress faces here is, after years of rising costs and shrinking budgets, an eventual lack of resources.
“We call on the Government to provide local authorities, who have a vital role to play in enforcing the upcoming Tenant Bill of Rights, with the additional funding and guidance they need to protect tenants from unscrupulous landlords. Ta.”
Landlords pay less than half of city council fines, shocking new data reveals
