July 26, 2017 4.29 pm This story is over 79 months old

Lincoln council secures £440k grant for rogue landlords crackdown

Schemes set up to tackle rogue landlords in Lincoln will receive a boost to the tune of £440,000. The City of Lincoln Council has secured the grant from the Controlling Migration Fund. It will allow the continuation of a crackdown on sub-standard rented accommodation. Councillor Pete West, Portfolio Holder for Housing at the city council,…

Schemes set up to tackle rogue landlords in Lincoln will receive a boost to the tune of £440,000.

The City of Lincoln Council has secured the grant from the Controlling Migration Fund. It will allow the continuation of a crackdown on sub-standard rented accommodation.

Councillor Pete West, Portfolio Holder for Housing at the city council, said: “The increase in the buy-to-let property market has created a surge in landlords who are prepared to put the safety of their tenants at risk for the sake of increased profits.

“We don’t want that happening in Lincoln, and over the past few years we have run schemes in certain parts of the city where this may be a problem, to clamp down on these rogue landlords.

“Now this extra funding has been secured, we can continue our good work in this area, which will include cracking down on rogue landlords, employing new enforcement officers and conducting inspections.”

The council launched the Trusted Landlord Scheme in March this year to create a benchmark of acceptable standards in rented properties.

Surveys carried out by City of Lincoln Council have highlighted problems with damp, excessive condensation and even exposed or faulty electrics in the past.

Last August, City of Lincoln Council won a court case against a firm of rogue landlords after 14 separate offences were committed. The company and two individuals were ordered to pay more than £30,000 in fines.

On inspecting the property, our Housing Enforcement Officers found many serious health and safety breaches, including broken and missing smoke alarms, loose banisters and overcrowding. Eight tenants shared one kitchen and bathroom, while fire escapes were blocked by furniture and doors padlocked from the outside.

The work was carried out with the help of an earlier grant of £96,000 from the Department of Communities and Local Government.