Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what his policy is on mandating annual inspections by local authority officers of rented properties to ensure standards are being followed.

We are determined to crack down on those unscrupulous landlords who neglect their properties and exploit their tenants. We want these landlords to either improve the service they offer or leave the sector.

We do not mandate annual inspections, instead, local authorities have the flexibility to focus on locally determined priorities and allocate their resources accordingly.

Local authorities must keep housing conditions under review and all have a duty to use their enforcement powers when they find the most serious ‘category 1’ hazards. We strengthened these powers by introducing financial penalties of up to £30,000, extending rent repayment orders, introducing banning orders for the most serious and prolific offenders