Data gathered by the National Residential Landlords Association shows councils collected just a quarter of the fines issued to landlords over the past two years, raising concerns about enforcement in the private rented sector.
Between the 2023/24 and 2024/25 financial years, 285 councils across England imposed almost £30m in civil penalties on private landlords for housing-related offences. However, councils collected only around £7.5m of that total, leaving the majority of fines unpaid.
Across the same period, local authorities issued almost 3,700 civil penalties to landlords.
The figures come from Freedom of Information requests sent to all English councils responsible for enforcement in the private rented sector. The NRLA conducted the research as policymakers prepare for changes to rental regulation.
Concerns ahead of new legislation
The findings arrive as the Renters’ Rights Act is set to come into force on 1 May.
Under the legislation, the maximum civil penalty for housing offences will rise sharply, increasing from £7,000 to £40,000. The NRLA argues that councils must strengthen enforcement if the higher penalties are to have the intended effect.
According to the organisation, uncollected fines reduce the resources councils can use to investigate offences and take further action against landlords who break the rules.
The NRLA warns that rogue and criminal landlords could continue to avoid consequences without stronger enforcement capacity. It also argues that poor enforcement harms the reputation of landlords who comply with regulations and provide good-quality homes.
Calls for stronger oversight and funding
The association has urged the UK government to introduce measures aimed at improving enforcement standards and transparency across councils.
It is calling on ministers to:
Establish a chief environmental health officer role with a national remit to support enforcement standards
Assess the resources local authority enforcement teams currently have, and what they will need to enforce the Renters’ Rights Act effectively
Require councils to publish an annual report detailing enforcement activity in the private rented sector within their area
Sector reaction
“Tenants and the vast majority of responsible landlords will rightly be fed up with our findings," said Ben Beadle. "For too long, a minority of rogue and criminal operators have allowed to act with impunity, bringing the sector into disrepute. It is galling then to see that those breaking the law are still failing to pay the price – leaving good landlords to pick up the tab in licensing fees."
He added that the figures raise questions about councils’ readiness to enforce the upcoming legislation.
“This also raises serious questions about how ready councils are to enforce the Renters’ Rights Act, and about the adequacy of the upfront funding provided to them to support enforcement action.”
