Landlord and leasing agents fines increased 500%.
These fines put the jobs of the leasing agents, as well as the landlords, at risk.
Kamma has released his analysis of the Mayor of London’s Rogue Landlord and Letting Agent Checker (RLAC). The analysis, running from the midpoint of each month to the middle of the next, shows a dramatic increase in enforcement activity against leasing agents, with total fines reaching £ 139,146 in mid-July, more than double the midpoint figure of June £ 42,500 and a dramatic increase of fines in May amounting to £ 22,000. Follow-up over the three-month period shows a combined increase of 532 percent.
These dramatic increases in fine activity bring total fines to £ 6.5 million since the RLAC was first established in 2018. Analysis of this data shows that both owners and agents are at risk, as homeowners are fined more frequently, and officers are fined more heavily. The largest individual fines ever recorded are £ 100,000 (for a landlord) and £ 167,000 (for a leasing agent), respectively.
City councils have been under pressure during the pandemic, with budgets under pressure and housing conditions in the spotlight. While the work of housing officers has been affected by lockdown rules and regulations, this data shows a dramatic return to compliance practices, as Kamma CEO Orla Shields explained:
“While the pandemic appears to have lowered compliance levels, it did not lower the level of regulation, which is higher now than at any time before. With a complex web of regulations now governing the industry and increasing levels of enforcement, it is critical for the company that both agents and their owners stay abreast of compliance requirements.”
The government should help leasing agents.
City councils are also deploying tenants to support law enforcement in a low-cost way by implementing a verification search tool and through Rent Payment Orders. Tower Hamlets Council has issued almost 70 RROs with the total amount of rent claimed at £ 200,000. With other local authorities doing the same, it is more important than ever for officers to catch up.
“As the NRLA has recently pointed out, it is right for city councils to enforce their own regulations, which would otherwise be a tax on good landlords, and for dishonest individuals to continue as before. The danger is that good landlord and leasing agents offering high-quality homes on the market could still be trapped by a change in regulation.”
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