Concerns over private landlord enforcement

Ealing Council is among the two-thirds of local authorities in England that recorded no prosecutions of private landlords over the past three years, according to a freedom of information (FOI) request made by The Guardian.

The FOI, which was answered by 252 local authorities including Ealing Council, found that authorities received around 300,000 tenant complaints between 2022 and 2024. Over the same period they brought 640 prosecutions and issued 4,702 civil penalty notices, giving a total of 5,342 formal enforcement actions.

The Labour-run council told EALING.NEWS that it is making wider use of Civil Penalty Notices, which allow fines of up to £30,000 instead of pursuing “time-consuming and expensive prosecutions which can take years to resolve”.

Housing campaigners say the findings highlight concerns about the ability of local authorities to enforce housing standards. Nye Jones, campaigns manager at Generation Rent, told The Guardian that stretched budgets mean many councils cannot carry out inspections or fully follow up complaints, leaving tenants at risk when landlords do not meet legal requirements.

Ealing Council said it had taken a range of enforcement measures. Between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025, the council issued 375 written warnings and served 155 enforcement notices, which it says play an important role in improving standards. It added that it receives around 1,500 service requests a year relating to private rented homes, including tenant complaints, landlord enquiries and concerns raised by neighbours.

The council also pointed to its wider enforcement powers, including supporting tenants seeking Rent Repayment Orders, registering non-compliant landlords on the national Rogue Landlord Database and refusing or revoking licences where properties do not meet required standards. It said licensing allows Ealing Council inspectors to intervene early and helps to ensure landlords understand their legal responsibilities when renting homes.

Leader of Ealing Liberal Democrats, Councillor Gary Malcolm, told EALING.NEWS: “Liberal Democrats say for a long time landlords have been left to treat many tenants badly. Ealing Council needs to both treat council tenants much better by fixing the huge numbers of damp and mould problems as well as being more proactive with making sure that landlords change their ways.”

Speaking to EALING.NEWS, an Ealing Council spokesperson said: “We are working hard to improve conditions in the private rented sector and making sure private tenants have safe and stable homes. Our borough operates one of the largest property licensing schemes in West London, and all houses in multiple occupation (HMO) and around two thirds of other private rented properties require a licence to meet quality standards.

“We receive around 1,500 service requests each year in this area, covering tenant complaints, landlord enquiries, and neighbour concerns. Since 2016, all local authorities have been empowered to issue Civil Penalty Notices including fines of up to £30,000 instead of pursuing time-consuming and expensive prosecutions which can take years to resolve. That is the fundamental factor behind the decline in prosecutions.

“We use a graduated enforcement approach which gives landlords a reasonable opportunity to make repairs, especially if they were unaware of any issues, before taking formal enforcement action such as improvement notices for non-compliance.”