Landlords across the UK have had to sit up and take note this past week as the government announced it would be introducing new anti-immigration laws.
Following a trial in the West Midlands that began in December 2014, the decision has been made to include the new legislation within the updated Immigration Bill this autumn. It will mean landlords are now required to carry out checks to ensure their tenants are in the UK legally.
Landlords that fail to perform the necessary ‘right to rent’ checks on their tenants could face up to five years in prison as well as a fine of up to £3,000 for every tenant they have that does not pass the checks.
Since the trial began in the West Midlands, only seven landlords have been prosecuted for not carrying out the right to rent checks. However, as the law is implemented across the UK, this number will inevitably increase dramatically, particularly in those areas that have a larger immigrant population.
Moreover, while the immigration aspect of the changes has stolen the headlines, the Department for Communities and Local Government has also said that it is going to be “tackling rogue landlords and improving the private rental sector”. According to the DCLG, the existing level of fines against rogue landlords are failing to have an impact, meaning more landlords could have a legal case brought against them over the coming months as part of the crack-down.
The changes will see rogue landlords blacklisted from renting or selling properties while also giving local authorities more power to act on the problem. It will also introduce a ‘fit and proper person’ test for landlords as well as more penalties and fines for landlords whose properties suffer from overcrowding, damp, disrepair and vermin infestations.