Local Council Enforcement Powers

Local authorities play a key role in ensuring that rental properties meet legal health and safety standards, including those related to damp and mould. Where landlords fail to maintain their properties or address issues that pose a risk to tenant health, councils are equipped with a range of enforcement powers. 

If the local authority identifies that damp or mould poses a Category 1 or serious Category 2 hazard, the local council can take formal enforcement action, including:

• improvement notices requiring necessary remedial work;
• issuing prohibition orders that restrict the use of part or all of a property;
• emergency remedial action where councils have the authority to enter a property without consent to carry out urgent repairs;
• imposing financial penalties of up to £30,000; and 
• in the most serious or repeated cases of non-compliance, local authorities can initiate criminal proceedings through the Magistrates' Court

Properties that do not meet standards may risk having their licences revoked, especially if they are Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), which are subject to stricter regulations and licensing requirements.