Government announces funds to crackdown on Cornwall’s rogue landlords

Housing Secretary, Michael Gove, has overnight announced a crackdown on rogue landlords as part of a wider review of housing standards. Following the tragic death of Awaab Ishak, social housing providers have been told they ‘must raise the bar dramatically’ on standards of their housing stock.

It’s not only social housing providers that are being told to up their game. The government is also focusing on poor standard privately rented homes by giving £14 million to councils to help fund enforcement action on rogue landlords.

Michael Gove said, “Everyone deserves the right to live in safe, decent home and this government will always act to protect tenants.”

Cornwall has been identified as one of seven areas with high numbers of poor privately rented homes. Cornwall Council will be given £1.14 million to create a database of private rented accommodation in the county and record standards to target better enforcement action.

At this time Cornwall Council have not released any details about the project. Our assumption is that it will be some sort of licensing scheme. We have contacted the council to request further information and we will of course update our landlords when we have further news.

We agree that tenants have the right to live in safe, decent homes and we have long supported improving standards in the sector. We’ve also been frustrated by the lack of enforcement action on rogue landlords in the area. By using a professional agency with a team of lettings experts, our landlords are committed to complying with legislation and providing good quality homes. When the new project is announced by the council, we will guide our landlords throughout the process.

We understand it is a tough time to be a landlord at the moment and if you are concerned about the new requirements, please don’t hesitate to call our Manager, Sam Whitehead, on 01208 78480. Alternatively, you can book a consultation with Sam here.