The government has claimed that guidance on financial penalties for landlords is now “more transparent.” This follows an announcement that landlords could face on-the-spot fines of £7,000 for severe damp and mould, as well as for broken-down boilers during freezing temperatures.
Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook stated that the revised Housing Health and Safety System (HHSRS) is intended to assist councils in addressing landlords who do not tackle serious hazards. A new financial penalty of up to £7,000 for failing to take reasonable steps to remove a Category 1 hazard came into force on 22 June.
Statutory guidance on these new financial penalties is included within the revised HHSRS Enforcement Guidance, published on 23 June. Mr Pennycook said this guidance aims to provide a “clearer, more transparent and more consistent framework for setting civil penalties across England.”
Despite an increase in local authority inspection numbers, councils in England are reportedly collecting only a fraction of the fines issued for landlord offences. Figures obtained by the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) indicate that inspections rose from 85,326 in 2021/22 and 2022/23 to 91,620 in 2023/24 and 2024/25. However, previously published data suggests that councils collect approximately a quarter of fines issued to landlords for housing offences.