Rogue landlords will face £30,000 fines under new legislation to be rolled out this week, the Sun reports.
Housing Minister Brandon Lewis will give councils new powers to fine property owners and agents for failing to tackle overcrowding and hazardous conditions in their buildings.
Landlords who repeatedly break the law will also be banned for at least 12 months and councils will have access to a national database on rogue property owners.
Mr Lewis told the Sun: ‘The private rental sector is still afflicted by too many rogues, who rent dangerous, dirty and overcrowded properties without a thought for the welfare of their tenants. We are determined to crack down.’
The new measures, which will be included in the Housing and Planning Bill, come after the Local Government Association (LGA) condemned the presented legislation for dealing with problematic landlords as ‘unfit for purpose’.