New bill will clamp down on rogue landlords

The bill, which is due to be discussed in Parliament, already has cross-party support and is expected to enshrine a new set of laws protecting vulnerable tenants.

The announcement that the bill will go ahead comes as new research shows thousands of people across the UK are being left to live in appalling conditions under fear that they might be evicted if they complain.

A survey conducted by YouGov on behalf of charity Shelter found that of the 4,500  private rented sector (PRS) tenants asked, as many as half had lived in a property with damp (44 per cent) or mould (48 per cent ) in the past year.

And nearly a fifth (19 per cent) of families had suffered electrical hazards in their homes, while one in six (18 per cent) reported living with animal infestations including mice, ants and cockroaches.

The study also revealed that over 60,000 families were threatened with eviction by their landlord simply for complaining about the conditions in their home in the last year.

Campbell Robb, Shelter’s chief executive, said: “No family should have to live in a home that puts their health and well-being at risk, let alone face eviction just for asking their landlord to fix a problem.

“With a bill to end revenge evictions going through parliament next month, we now have a real chance to change the law and protect renting families.”

The change in current housing laws would have a massive impact on both landlords and tenants and could open up a raft of cases being taken in the civil and criminal court against landlords who abuse their tenants and fail to carry out repair or threaten tenants with eviction.

Our experts at Royds can offer advice to tenants who have been targeted by “rogue” landlords. For more information please visit or contact Chris Rodda or Lucy Tangen.