Plans for a new Government website listing ‘rogue landlords’, have been confirmed by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities.

This came in an update on the outcome of consultation about the proposals published this week.

As set out in the ‘a fairer private rented sector’ White Paper, published in June 2022, the portal will provide ‘a single “front door” for landlords to understand their responsibilities’, and provide tenants with information about their landlord’s compliance. Local councils will have access to the data so as to be better able to crack down on criminal landlords.

‘We also intend to incorporate some of the functionality of the Database of Rogue Landlords, mandating the entry of all eligible unspent landlord offences and making them publicly visible’.

The original consultation on the proposal was in 2019 when it was proposed that the list of ‘offences’ and ‘infractions’ that would lead to a landlord listing be significantly increased.

Currently entries can only be made following conviction for one or more of 18 banning order offences or for two or more civil penalties, or where a banning order has been imposed. The proposal was that the ‘two or more’ offences requirement be replaced by a longer list including such things as non-compliance with a local authority notice to take action to prevent or remove mice or rat infestation, or where a noise abatement order has been served.