Green Party council consults renters on fines for landlords

A council is consulting the public – including tenants – on the scale of fines that should be applied to landlords who break rules.

Renters and landlords in Bristol are being consulted about the fines applicable from May under the Renters Rights Act. 

In general the Act introduces new fines of up to £7,000 for breaches and £40,000 for offences, and gives councils substantial new powers to regulate landlords.

Now Bristol council – in which the Greens are the largest party and hold the leadership – is consulting tenants and others on the scale of fines in those areas where the authority has discretion.

The consultation says: 

“There are some starting levels and factors which the council does have discretion on.

• Starting levels for licence condition offences and electrical safety regulation breaches;
• How we interpret and apply adjustments to specific aggravating and mitigating factor;
• We are also proposing that breaches under the Electrical Safety regulations affecting privately rented properties will also follow this new policy.”

The consultation is open until later March.

The chair of Bristol’s housing committee, Green Party councillor Barry Parsons, says: “This is something of a watershed moment for renters. 

“This is an excellent piece of legislation and the biggest transformation and boost to renters’ rights in over a generation. 

“This council will be grabbing the opportunities it presents with both hands … to bring the biggest benefits that we possibly can to renters.”

You can see the consultation here.

This article is taken from Landlord Today