18-07-2025
Labour hands councils powers to secretly inspect landlords' properties
'Powers of entry are intrusive by their nature. If they are to be exercised without prior warning, there must be rigorous justification, robust checks and balances and explicit limits to prevent overreach. That bar has not been met.
'These amendments risk tipping the balance too far, undermining transparency and weakening the very safeguards that protect landlords and tenants alike,' he added.
It means landlords may be hit with fines from inspections they didn't know were happening.
It could leave them footing the bill for tenants' negligence, such as failing to properly ventilate a property to prevent mould.
The maximum penalty that a council can issue to a landlord without needing to go to court is £30,000. If the Renters' Rights Bill becomes law, this will increase to £40,000.
The British Landlords' Association welcomed the changes as 'in everyone's best interests'. But Sajjad Ahmad, its chief executive, warned against 'sneaky inspections'.
He said: 'Inspections should not be done without landlords present. Everyone should be there, as well as the tenants and council officers. This means you can more easily get a solution, rather than issues going on and on.'
When the bill passes, Awaab's law will also be applied to the private rental sector.
The law forces landlords to take immediate action to remove mould and damp, after two-year-old Awaab Ishak died from respiratory issues caused by exposure to black mould.
Baroness Taylor of Stevenage, parliamentary under-secretary of state for housing, told members of the House of Lords that giving notice can lead to 'unscrupulous landlords hiding evidence of breaches'.
The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, which called for the removal of the 24-hour period, has welcomed the news.
Mark Elliott, the institute's president said: 'We are delighted that the Government has recognised the need to remove this requirement, which has long been a barrier to effective enforcement of housing legislation.
'The current requirement provides an opportunity for the landlord to appear at the inspection, which can be an intimidating experience for the tenant making the complaint.
'Local authorities should be able to conduct such visits without giving the landlord 24 hours' notice, permitting private conversations with the tenant before the local authority contacts the landlord to notify them if works are required.'
Changes for landlords
The renters' rights amendments also need to be passed in the House of Commons. The bill – due to come into force this autumn – will also abolish so-called 'no fault' evictions, introduce an ombudsman for the private rental sector and make enforcement against rogue landlords stronger.
It also means landlords will be forced to wait three months before taking action against non-paying tenants.
Rentals that fall short of energy efficiency standards will be banned by 2030, costing landlords an average bill of £10,000 to bring their properties up to code.
The increasingly hostile business environment under Labour is forcing landlords to sell up.
The number of UK properties available to let has hit an all-time low of 284,000, falling 18pc in the year to March, according to analytics firm TwentyCi.
The National Residential Landlords' Association (NRLA) said that 'the majority of responsible landlords must not be treated as though they are part of the problem'.
A spokesman said: 'The amendment passed in the House of Lords raises concerns. The NRLA is supportive of effective enforcement, but it is important that actions taken by enforcement bodies are proportionate to the issue being investigated and seek to work with all involved to achieve the best possible outcome.
'We urge the Government to ensure that any new enforcement measures are applied in a targeted and proportionate way.'
