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Mayor vows to use new powers for landlord crackdown on his patch

richard parker

West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) mayor Richard Parker has welcomed stronger powers in the Renters’ Rights Act as a way to root out rogue landlords in the region.

Parker says he will proactively use the new laws to improve private renters’ quality of life and raise the decency and safety of their homes. But he also encouraged the thousands of fair and responsible West Midlands landlords to find out what the changes will mean for them and to use the next few months to get ready.

Local councils will be legally responsible for overseeing the new laws, backed by stronger enforcement powers and support from WMCA. This includes tougher fines of up to £7,000 for breaches, rising to £40,000 for repeated breaches of the rules or for serious offences. Tenants or local authorities will also be able to seek rent repayment orders, forcing landlords to pay back rent for offences.

Tough

Parker warned rogue landlords to expect tough consequences if they fail to comply with the ban on no-fault evictions from 1st May.

“While many landlords do right by their tenants, there are others that don’t, leaving young children in damp, unhealthy homes, and their parents living in fear of losing their home through no fault of their own,” says Parker.

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“We must keep driving up the standard of private rental accommodation in our region and protect vulnerable people and families. That’s why I will be working with our local councils in using these new laws to support fair minded landlords, so they are ready for 1st May but also crackdown on those rogue landlords who have blighted too many lives for far too long.”

There are 225,000 privately rented homes in the West Midlands, but a quarter fail to meet minimum standards of decency due to issues such as excessive damp, mould and cold.

Tags:

renters' rights act
Section 21
Rogue landlords

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