Penalties for landlords breaking right-to-rent rules change this week.
From February 13 2024, offending landlords will see the first offence right-to-rent penalties rise from £80 for a lodger and £1,000 a tenant to £5,000 for a lodger and £10,000 for a tenant.
Repeat offence fines go up from £500 a lodger or £3,000 a tenant to £10,000 a lodger or £20,000 for a tenant. Repeat offences take place within three years of a first offence.
Landlords could also face jail and a hefty fine for failing to check a renter’s right-to-rent status.
To explain the reform and landlord right-to-rent duties, the government has published a new statutory code of practice online.
Stop the Boats campaign
The code explains who can rent a private home in the UK and how to check a renter’s residential status.
The government claims the increased fines are a vital part of the campaign to stop illegal immigration, including Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s pledge to stop the small boats crossing the Channel.
A Home Office spokesman said: “ "The government aims to change the behaviour of rogue landlords; to eliminate any financial gain or benefit from non-compliance; to tackle the harm caused by regulatory non-compliance, where appropriate; and to deter future non-compliance.
“As is the case now, the maximum penalty will only be levied on a landlord who breaches the scheme on more than one occasion by entering into a residential tenancy agreement with a disqualified person."
The government is also cracking down on illegal workers by increasing fines for employers breaching the rules for repeat offenders, rising from £45,0000 to £60,000 a worker.
