Burnham announces crackdown on landlords of poor-quality homes

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced plans to crack down on rogue landlords who provide substandard housing. Under the proposed measures, landlords renting out the “worst quality homes” will first receive orders to carry out necessary repairs. If they refuse to comply, local authorities would be granted increased powers to seize or take control of the properties to bring them back into the public housing stock.

The policy specifically targets properties in poor condition, including those owned by absent landlords who receive housing benefit payments but fail to reinvest in maintenance. Burnham compared the issue to food safety, stating, “We don’t let people sell food which damages health, so why allow it with homes?”

Timothy Douglas of Propertymark noted that while addressing poorly maintained properties is a key concern, any new proposals must be proportionate and provide clarity on how remedial work would be managed with tenants in situ. He suggested that the upcoming ‘Register Your Rental Property Service’ in December could provide councils with the intelligence needed for targeted enforcement.