News from 17 July 2026
English councils carried out 91,620 housing-hazard inspections across 2023/24 and 2024/25, up from 85,326 in the previous two years, according to NRLA data. Separate figures covering 285 councils showed almost £30 million in penalties issued and about £7.5 million recovered.
Penalties issued and money recovered
Financial penalties are intended to give councils a practical way to deal with housing offences without relying entirely on criminal prosecutions. If penalties are imposed but not collected, they provide less deterrence and recover less money to support future enforcement.
The NRLA argues that licensing and other fees paid by compliant landlords can then end up subsidising action against the rogue minority. Whether every council faces the same difficulty is unclear from the headline figures, but the gap between penalties issued and money recovered raises legitimate questions about capacity, appeals, debt recovery and transparency.
The issue also affects tenants. A strong enforcement system should identify hazards early, require improvement and pursue landlords who ignore their responsibilities. Inspection totals alone do not show whether unsafe conditions were resolved or sanctions were effective.
Calls for clearer council reporting
The cross-party Housing Select Committee has called for stronger oversight of local authority enforcement against rogue landlords. The NRLA supports annual council reports setting out private rented sector enforcement activity, including how income from licensing and related schemes is used.
Comparable reporting could help landlords and tenants distinguish between councils that issue large penalties, those that collect them, and those that secure actual improvements to homes. It could also expose where enforcement teams lack the resources or debt-recovery support needed to finish cases.
For now, the practical message is straightforward: inspection activity is rising, but the effectiveness of enforcement cannot be measured by visits or penalties alone. Compliant landlords should continue focusing on property standards, prompt repairs and clear evidence, while watching for further changes to council reporting and enforcement powers.
This article is general information and not legal advice.
Source: Property Industry Eye: Millions in landlord fines go unpaid, published 17 July 2026, reporting Freedom of Information figures obtained by the NRLA.
