Rogue landlords who fail to fix problems are now facing fines of up to £7,000

Published: 00:01, 22 June 2026 | Updated: 00:01, 22 June 2026 Landlords who fail to fix dangerous problems such as damp and mould now face fines of up to £7,000. From today, councils across England will gain the power to issue hefty penalties for serious hazards in private renters' homes. These will also include freezing temperatures, structural issues, fire hazards and faulty electrics. Housing Secretary Steve Reed is urging councils to use the powers which are provided under the Renters' Rights Act. The new penalties sit alongside existing council powers, including forcing repairs, carrying out emergency works and recovering costs from landlords who do not act. Mr Reed said: 'Renters deserve a safe, secure place to call home and our landmark Renters' Rights Act gives councils more options to take speedy action against rogue landlords. 'These include the new power to issue a £7,000 penalty to a landlord when there is a hazard like severe damp or mould in a privately rented home.' Alongside the new fines, the Government is updating the Housing Health and Safety Rating System in England with the aim of making it easier for councils to spot risks and act quickly to protect tenants. Other updates provided by the Act, introduced last month, include the scrapping of no-fault evictions and a limit on yearly rent rises. Ben Twomey, of housing campaigners Generation Rent, said: 'The council being given the power to fine landlords up to £7,000 if they ignore repairs is an essential step towards raising the quality of rented homes.' Clara Collingwood, of Renters' Reform Coalition, said: 'Now that we have new rights as renters, we need to use them.' Housing Secretary Steve Reed is urging councils to use the powers which are provided under the Renters' Rights Act No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.