Rogue letting agent database has been a flop, new research shows
A Government list of dodgy landords and property firms contains only 49 names, with most local councils adding no entries despite officials heralding it as a major regulation tool.
A Government blacklist of dodgy landlords and letting agent firms or individuals is ‘still empty’ six years after it was first set up, it is claimed.
Research by The Sun newspaper shows that the Rogue Landlords Database only contains the details of 49 individuals and companies.
And only 27 local councils have added any names, with more than half of those authorities only including one entry.
Promised
All of this comes more than 18 months after the Government promised that the database would provide all the background information tenants needed.
The portal would provide a single ‘front door’ for landlords to understand their responsibilities, tenants will be able to see whether their landlord is compliant as well as enabling local councils to crack down on criminal landlords, the Department for Levelling, Up, Housing and Communities said in 2022.
Mandatory
It has been mandatory for housing authorities to report when a landlord or property agent has received a banning order since enforcement rules were introduced in April 2018.
Camden Council in London has the most entries on the database with eight, with the next highest is Bristol with four.
Reluctant
Many local authorities reportedly don’t have the resources to fulfil their obligation, and some are reluctant because it will reduce the number of rental properties available.
Propertymark has previously called for the database to be opened up and made accessible to tenants.
Database of rogue agents and landlords ‘a total failure’ Freedom of Information request shows
Proper thick aren’t they. Shows there’s not this massive problem they portray.
You’d be much better to have Govt funded tenants database.
Proper access for Landlords then, and landlords risks and costs would be much lower and inevitably, we would have lower rents cause of this. Less Landlords pack up as they not being shafted as much.