Enforcement action for poor quality properties
We want to support good landlords who provide decent well-maintained homes. However, a small number of landlords knowingly rent out unsafe and substandard accommodation.
If we receive a report that a privately rented property is in a poor condition, we have a legal duty to investigate.
In the first instance, we contact the landlord to give them the chance to resolve the issues.
We would consider enforcement action at a later stage, if the complaint was justified, and the landlord has not addressed them properly.
If there were an imminent risk to health, we would take enforcement action straight away.
How we investigate
You can read our Housing Enforcement Policy for full details of how we investigate a complaint and how we approach enforcement.
In summary, when we receive a report, we will inspect the property under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS).
We will record any issues we find and classify them as either Category 1 hazards or Category 2 hazards.
If we find Category 1 hazards, we have a legal duty to take action. If we find Category 2 hazards, we can choose what action to take, if any.
Action we will take
For Category 1 hazards, we can:
- serve a Hazard Awareness Notice
- serve an Improvement Notice
- make a Prohibition Order
- make a Demolition Order
- serve an Overcrowding Notice
- carry out remedial work ourselves and then recover the cost from the landlord
Fees for taking enforcement action
If we need to take action, we can imposes a fee on the landlord for this. We calculate the fee depending upon the nature of the case.
For example, the fee for a three-bedroom property, occupied by four people with five hazards would be £614.
Civil Penalty Notices (CPNs)
If landlords do not comply with housing safety standards, we can prosecute them in a criminal court, but this is often costly and time consuming.
Alternatively, we can issue civil financial penalties for certain offences.
Each CPN reflects the severity of the offence, the size of the landlord's portfolio, their experience in letting or management of properties, and their previous record of offending.
A CPN can be issued for breaches of legislation including:
- Housing and Planning Act 2016
- Housing Act 1988
- Renters Rights Act 2025
- Protection from Eviction Act 1977
You can read our statement of principles, which explains how we set the level of fines.
Housing Act 1988
- Legislation
- Housing Act 1988
- Offence
- Continuing a breach after the service of a CPN under section 16J(3) of the Housing Act 1988
- Penalty
- Up to £40,000
Housing Act 1988
- Legislation
- Housing Act 1988
- Offence
- Committing another HA1988 breach or offence within 5 years undersection 16(J)(4) of the Housing Act 1988
- Penalty
- Up to £40,000
Housing Act 1988
- Legislation
- Housing Act 1988
- Offence
- Letting a property or listing it for let within 12 months of evicting a tenant under the new no-fault eviction grounds.
- Penalty
- Up to £40,000
Housing Act 1988
- Legislation
- Housing Act 1988
- Offence
- Failure to give an existing tenant prescribed information about changes made by the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 in the prescribed form and timeframe under paragraph 7(2) of schedule 6 to the Renters’ Rights Act 2025
- Penalty
- Up to £7,000
Housing Act 1988
- Legislation
- Housing Act 1988
- Offence
- Relying on a ground where the person knows they wouldn’t obtain an order for possession or being reckless as to whether they would obtain possession under section 16J(1) Housing Act 1988 and the tenant leaves within 4 months
- Penalty
- Up to £40,000
Housing and Planning Act 2016
- Legislation
- Housing and Planning Act 2016
- Offence
- Offences in relation to licensing of HMOs (Part 2, Section 72)
- Penalty
- Up to £40,000
Housing and Planning Act 2016
- Legislation
- Housing and Planning Act 2016
- Offence
- Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Regulations non-compliance
- Penalty
- £1,000 initial fine, increasing to £5,000 for repetition within two years
Housing and Planning Act 2016
- Legislation
- Housing and Planning Act 2016
- Offence
- Offences in relation to licensing of houses (Part 3, Section 95)
- Penalty
- Up to £40,000
Housing and Planning Act 2016
- Legislation
- Housing and Planning Act 2016
- Offence
- Offences of contravention of an overcrowding notice (Section 139)
- Penalty
- Up to £40,000
Housing and Planning Act 2016
- Legislation
- Housing and Planning Act 2016
- Offence
- Registered false or misinformation on the Private Rented Sector (PRS) Exemption Register
- Penalty
- £1,000
Housing and Planning Act 2016
- Legislation
- Housing and Planning Act 2016
- Offence
- Failure to comply with an improvement notice (Section 30)
- Penalty
- Up to £40,000
Housing and Planning Act 2016
- Legislation
- Housing and Planning Act 2016
- Offence
- Failure to comply with HMO management regulations (Section 234)
- Penalty
- Up to £40,000
Housing and Planning Act 2016
- Legislation
- Housing and Planning Act 2016
- Offence
- The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector and Social Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020)
- Penalty
- Up to £40,000
Housing and Planning Act 2016
- Legislation
- Housing and Planning Act 2016
- Offence
- Property is let with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of F or G without an exemption in place
- Penalty
- £2,000 if less than three months, £4,000 if three months or more
Protection from Eviction Act 1977
- Legislation
- Protection from Eviction Act 1977
- Offence
- Unlawful eviction and harassment of occupier under section 1 of the Protection from Eviction Act 1977.
- Penalty
- Up to £40,000
Renters Rights Act 2025
- Legislation
- Renters Rights Act 2025
- Offence
- Failure to specify proposed rent within a written advertisement or offer under section 56 of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025.
- Penalty
- Up to £7,000
Renters Rights Act 2025
- Legislation
- Renters Rights Act 2025
- Offence
- Discrimination relating to children in the lettings process under section 33 of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025.
- Penalty
- Up to £7,000
Renters Rights Act 2025
- Legislation
- Renters Rights Act 2025
- Offence
- Inviting, encouraging or accepting any offer of rent greater than the stated rate under section 56 of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025.
- Penalty
- Up to £7,000
Renters Rights Act 2025
- Legislation
- Renters Rights Act 2025
- Offence
- Discrimination relating to benefits claimants in the lettings process under section 34 of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025.
- Penalty
- Up to £7,000
| Legislation | Offence | Penalty |
|---|---|---|
| Housing Act 1988 | Continuing a breach after the service of a CPN under section 16J(3) of the Housing Act 1988 | Up to £40,000 |
| Housing Act 1988 | Committing another HA1988 breach or offence within 5 years undersection 16(J)(4) of the Housing Act 1988 | Up to £40,000 |
| Housing Act 1988 | Letting a property or listing it for let within 12 months of evicting a tenant under the new no-fault eviction grounds. | Up to £40,000 |
| Housing Act 1988 | Failure to give an existing tenant prescribed information about changes made by the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 in the prescribed form and timeframe under paragraph 7(2) of schedule 6 to the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 | Up to £7,000 |
| Housing Act 1988 | Relying on a ground where the person knows they wouldn’t obtain an order for possession or being reckless as to whether they would obtain possession under section 16J(1) Housing Act 1988 and the tenant leaves within 4 months | Up to £40,000 |
| Housing and Planning Act 2016 | Offences in relation to licensing of HMOs (Part 2, Section 72) | Up to £40,000 |
| Housing and Planning Act 2016 | Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Regulations non-compliance | £1,000 initial fine, increasing to £5,000 for repetition within two years |
| Housing and Planning Act 2016 | Offences in relation to licensing of houses (Part 3, Section 95) | Up to £40,000 |
| Housing and Planning Act 2016 | Offences of contravention of an overcrowding notice (Section 139) | Up to £40,000 |
| Housing and Planning Act 2016 | Registered false or misinformation on the Private Rented Sector (PRS) Exemption Register | £1,000 |
| Housing and Planning Act 2016 | Failure to comply with an improvement notice (Section 30) | Up to £40,000 |
| Housing and Planning Act 2016 | Failure to comply with HMO management regulations (Section 234) | Up to £40,000 |
| Housing and Planning Act 2016 | The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector and Social Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020) | Up to £40,000 |
| Housing and Planning Act 2016 | Property is let with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of F or G without an exemption in place | £2,000 if less than three months, £4,000 if three months or more |
| Protection from Eviction Act 1977 | Unlawful eviction and harassment of occupier under section 1 of the Protection from Eviction Act 1977. | Up to £40,000 |
| Renters Rights Act 2025 | Failure to specify proposed rent within a written advertisement or offer under section 56 of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. | Up to £7,000 |
| Renters Rights Act 2025 | Discrimination relating to children in the lettings process under section 33 of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. | Up to £7,000 |
| Renters Rights Act 2025 | Inviting, encouraging or accepting any offer of rent greater than the stated rate under section 56 of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. | Up to £7,000 |
| Renters Rights Act 2025 | Discrimination relating to benefits claimants in the lettings process under section 34 of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. | Up to £7,000 |