Mansfield's homeless charity The Beacon Project is awarded £1,000
A crackdown on rogue landlords by Ashfield District Council has been boosted by a £35,000 grant from the government.
The council is committed to ensuring that tenants ’ lives are not put in danger by unscrupulous landlords and will allocate the funding to technological improvements in methods of communication and data collection.
Revised regulations governing Houses In Multiple Occupation (HMO), which are properties with areas such as kitchens and bathrooms that are shared by more than one household, have led to a five-fold rise in the number of homes that need to be licensed in Ashfield.
A large proportion of landlords have complied with the requirements but the council continues to identify unlicensed HMOs, including new HMOs opening, that need to be brought within the requirements.
The cou ncil takes a proactive approach to enforcement action against those landlords who continually fail to maintain and manage their homes properly.
Three landlords in the district have been successfully prosecuted within the last 12 months. Civil Penalty notices have been issued for the first time with the first two landlords paying a fine of £12,500 for failing to obtain the correct licence.
The council is also finalising its first enforced sale of a property that did not comply with the regulations.
Landlords can apply online for the relevant licence, saving money in processing times and better targeting those that flout the law.Cllr Tom Hollis, cabinet member for housing said “We have worked hard to tackle rogue landlords in the district. We want to ensure that all residents living in HMOs have a home that is safe.
“Investing in technology like this not only makes it easier for landlords to apply for the relevant licence but allows us to better regulate who is not complying and prosecute as necessary.
“The council takes the rogue landlords very seriously. We will, and do prosecute those who think they can get away with putting people’s lives in danger.”
Landlords wishing to apply for and pay for their HMO licence can find the i nformation here: www.ashfield.gov.uk/business/licensing/private-sector-licensing-housing/houses-in-multiple-occupation-hmo