Haringey Council has introduced tougher fines for errant landlords in a bid to raise housing standards across the London borough.

Its Civil Penalty Notice policy has been revised so that rogue landlords could now be handed penalties of up to £30,000 per offence.

Failing to comply with an Improvement Notice could cost landlords £22,500, while not licensing an HMO starts at £17,500.

Operating unlawfully

The council hopes to foster an environment where it’s obvious that operating unlawfully as a landlord is far less profitable than meeting regulations.

Its report said: “Enforcement action and resources will be applied proportionally based on the seriousness of the offence and focused toward seeking the highest penalties for the worst offenders.”

With less significant breaches, it promises to try to resolve problems by either using lesser civil legal routes or through informal action.

Councillor Sarah Williams, cabinet member for housing and planning and deputy leader, explained that its policy change demonstrates the council’s commitment to holding landlords accountable and ensuring all residents have access to safe, high-quality housing.

She added: “By increasing penalties and streamlining our enforcement strategy, we are sending a strong message - breaking the law will have serious consequences and we will simply not tolerate it.

“We remain committed to supporting our good landlords while also cracking down on illegal landlord practices and raising housing standards across the borough.”

Last year, Haringey launched another additional HMO licencing scheme despite less than half the respondents to its consultation agreeing it was a good idea.

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