Government Proposals to Tackle Rogue Landlords and Evict Illegal Immigrants
The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has announced that they will be introducing various requirements to tackle rogue landlords and illegal immigrants. It will become a requirement for landlords to conduct “right to rent” checks on their tenants’ immigration status before offering a tenancy agreement.
Landlords who repeatedly fail to conduct “right to rent” checks or fail to take steps to remove illegal immigrants from their properties may face a fine, up to five years’ imprisonment and further sanctions under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.
The Immigration Bill will introduce measures to enable landlords to evict illegal immigrant tenants more easily by enabling them to end a tenancy when a person’s leave to remain in the UK ends.
The DCLG has also published a consultation on the government’s proposals for tackling rogue landlords and to improve standards in the private rental sector. The proposals include blacklisting rogue landlords and letting agents, extending Rent Repayment Orders and introducing civil penalties.