Funding enforcement through prosecutions risks sending out the wrong message, warns Bath and North East Somerset Council’s Andy Wait.
2nd Jun 20260 3,523 1 minute read Simon Cairnes
The cost of enforcing the Renters’ Rights Act will have to be funded by fines and prosecutions of rogue landlords, Bath and North East Somerset Council has warned.
It claims there is ‘not neccesarily’ enough money in place to cover the enforcement of the new rules that were introduced at the beginning of last month.
Payment by resultsMatt McCabe, Cabinet Member for Built Environment, Housing and Sustainable Development at Bath and North East Somerset Council, told a council scrutiny panel: “Local authorities now have an enforcement function, but there is not necessarily any money for that.”
He added: “There is some transition money, but in future, it will be that we will have to supplement from prosecutions. Which is not a sensible way forward in my view.”
It seems to be payment by results, which is possibly not the right image that you need to put across.”
The council’s scrutiny panel has also raised concerns about whether a “payment by results” model is the right approach.
Matt McCabe, Cabinet Member for Built Environment and Sustainable Development, Bath and North East Somerset Council
Enforcement is currently being contracted out to Bristol City Council, while Bath recruits officers to carry out investigations under the new rules.
Bristol already operates a private sector housing enforcement service and will cover the area until Bath’s own team is established.
Councillors have warned, however, that there is no clear long-term funding model once the new team is in place.
Andy Wait (main picture), Chair of the scrutiny panel, told Somerset Live: “It seems to be payment by results, which is possibly not the right image that you need to put across.”
Tagsrogue landlords 2nd Jun 20260 3,523 1 minute read Simon Cairnes Share Facebook X LinkedIn Share via Email