A council is boasting that it’s issued fines totalling over £500,000 to HMO landlords on its patch.
The onslaught began after Salford council launched an Additional HMO licensing scheme four year ago.
Since then the authority has issued 1,262 HMO licences, with a further 123 licenses currently being processed.
This has led to the inspection of 1,385 HMOs being inspected before a licence is issued, and landlords have been required to address hazards and bring their properties up to what the council calls “minimum standards.”
In total 26 landlords have been fined a total of £577,650.
A council spokesperson says: “It is an absolute priority that all residents in Salford live in safe and well-maintained homes. So we have taken action against landlords who are not meeting these conditions.
“We introduced the licensing scheme to improve conditions for tenants and improve management standards. So far it has been a success. Landlords who do not comply with conditions will receive a visit from our enforcement officers and where necessary we will hand out fines.
“But the hard work does not stop here – we will continue to target landlords who fail to meet their obligations.”
The council is also appealing to tenants to complain more.
The spokesperson continues: “I would like to thank all those residents who have reported concerns so we can maintain high standards in our city and not put landlord profit before tenant welfare.
“It is also important to note that the council is here to support landlords and agent in meeting their responsibilities. Our officers work very closely with them, and it is only those who do not comply that we have to take action against.”
This article is taken from Landlord Today