New laws for landlords

18th October 2013

For the first time, sub-letting a council property is now a criminal offence. Ministers are clamping down on the practice after discovering it costs the taxpayer £1.8bn.

The new laws, under the Prevention of Social Housing Fraud Act, will also give social landlords the power to recover the proceeds of sub-letting. Separately, the Independent reports that all letting and property management agents will soon be forced to join a redress scheme to ensure tenants can complain about hidden fees and poor service and can receive compensation when a complaint is upheld. The Government will issue a code of practice, setting standards for managing private rented property, which is likely to be given legal force later.

The Independent