Brighton landlords to be charged for failure to meet standards

A council will begin charging landlords who fail to ensure private rented homes meet required standards.

Brighton & Hove City Council said many landlords ran their properties responsibly, but issues reported to the authority showed the standard was "not consistent".

The fees, which will be about £500, will be issued alongside improvement notices.

The new charges will be introduced from 2 January.

The council's private sector housing team will step in to request improvements, including requiring a landlord to repair a leaking roof or deal with a potential hazard, such as a missing staircase banister.

The aim of the charges will be to cover the cost of taking enforcement action, with the charge made to the landlord, the council said.

The cost will be determined on a case by case basis, depending on the staff time involved and expenses incurred.

Gill Williams, chair of the council's housing and new homes committee, said: "We are committed to tackling problems in the city's private rented homes and taking a stronger approach to landlords who don't look after their properties or respect their tenants' rights to enjoy their home.

"We know there are a lot of responsible landlords, but we also hear time and again from residents about other landlords who fail to maintain their properties."

The council said in the majority of cases, landlords carried out the required work without the need for enforcement action.

If the improvements are not made and the charge is not paid by the landlord, it will be placed as a local land charge to be recovered when the property is sold or until the invoice is paid.

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