Civil penalties for housing offences

The Council’s Regulatory Services team regulates the private rented sector for Southend-on-Sea City Council.

Landlords of privately rented properties are required to comply with the law, to ensure the health, safety and welfare of occupiers are protected and their properties, and activities at their properties, are not having a negative effect on the neighbouring population.

Landlords will be assisted by Regulatory Services to comply with the law through the provision of advice, guidance, and signposting. Where landlords are not complying with the law, or proactively managing their properties, Regulatory Services can use enforcement powers to require landlords to take the necessary action to do so.

The process that the Council must follow for Civil Penalties to be applied is detailed in statutory guidance (April 2018). This outlines the factors that must be considered when determining the level of Civil Penalty to be imposed, which can be up to £30,000. A Civil Penalty (or Penalties if there have been several breaches), can be used if the Council considers their use the most appropriate and effective sanction in a particular case.

The purpose of this policy is to set out the framework within which decisions will be made by the Council regarding issuing Civil Penalties for these specific cases. The Civil Penalties Policy is a supplement of the Council’s Environment and Regulatory Services Policy.

This policy may be departed from where the circumstances so justify and each case will be dealt with on its own merits, having regard to those circumstances.

You can download the Civil Penalties Policy for Housing Offences within the following documents.

Contact private sector housing

Telephone: 01702 215000

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