Recommendation 8

The Department has introduced various pieces of legislation which give local authorities a range of tools and powers to enforce compliance in the private rented sector, such as civil penalties and banning orders.19 However, over time this has resulted in dozens of legislative powers used by local authorities, which are complex and spread across multiple enforcement teams including Environmental Health, Trading Standards and Tenancy Relations.20 This creates a fragmented and disempowered regulatory system, particularly in two-tier authorities where some enforcement responsibilities sit separately between district and county councils.21