By Vivienne Russell | 12 November 2013
Councils should be handed powers to force private landlords to crack down on anti-social behaviour caused by their tenants, the Local Government Association has said.
It is lobbying Lords to amend the draft Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill to give councils greater oversight of landlords. The LGA pointed to Scotland, where private landlords are required to register with their local council, which can ban them from collecting rent if they fail to take their responsibility to manage tenants seriously.
The Bill has already been amended to allow local authorities to seek injunctions to evict private tenants.
Mehboob Khan, chair of the LGA’s safer and stronger communities board, said: ‘Councils know people look to them to tackle the anti-social behaviour which can make a law-abiding resident’s life hell or blight an entire neighbourhood.
‘The government’s recent decision to allow councils to take action against private tenants as well as those in social housing will go a long way to helping them protect communities.’
He added that the problem of anti-social behaviour by tenants was ‘considerable’ and plenty of private landlords cared little about their tenants’ behaviour as long as they received their rent each week.
‘Hitting those who ignore warnings by stopping them from collecting rent would certainly be one way for councils to make them sit up and take notice of the damaging effect that anti-social can inflict on neighbours and the community as a whole,’ said Khan.
