Conclusion 28

Councils need sustainable, predictable sources of revenue to fund a much- need expansion of regulatory activity. In principle, our view is that the costs of regulating the private rented sector should be borne by all landlords, not just those who breach the law. We fully support the government’s intention to use registration fees from the Private Rented Sector Database as way of funding local authorities’ regulation of the private rented sector, although in practice it is possible that these costs could also be passed on to tenants. It critical that an increase in funding from landlords through fees comes with greater transparency and accountability over local authorities’ performance. (Conclusion, Paragraph 117)