Rogue landlords face £50,000 fine

Rogue landlords have been warned they face a £50,000 fine if they do not register with a city council, as it cracks down on the problem.

An estimated 6,000 private landlords in Glasgow have not given their details to the local authority despite a legal requirement to do so.

Glasgow City Council said it had been carrying out “extensive work” to track down the offenders. It said that the landlord register is a key element in the bid to drive up standards and ensure decent housing for tenants.

Council leader Gordon Matheson warned landlords to register now or face action.

He said: “The time for excuses from those landlords who have shown no regard for their legal responsibilities is running out. Landlords have known for years that they have a duty to ensure they are properly registered.

“It is completely unacceptable that so many have chosen to evade the law.

“Extensive work has been going on to develop a clear picture of which rented properties do not have a registered landlord listed against them. If landlords do not respond to this call, then they can rest assured that action will be taken.”

Landlords have been required to register since 2004 and, from 31 August this year, the maximum fine for failure to register went up from £5,000 to £50,000.

The council said that when a landlord applies to register, it gives the opportunity to assess whether they are a “fit and proper” person to rent out property.

There are 25,000 registered landlords in Glasgow. A new contact number has been created which will provide a single point of contact for householders, owners and landlords who require help, advice or information on a range of issues.

The council is also planning to set up landlord forums in areas of the city where problems have been previously identified.

John Blackwood, director of the Scottish Association of Landlords, said: “Failure to register as a landlord can put a question mark against a landlord who is, in every other way, above board.

“It is an offence not to register and so people are also putting themselves at risk of receiving a substantial fine.

“We welcome the council’s initiative to improve standards in private rented housing.”