Goodlord says fraudulent tenancy applications may be costing the UK private rented sector up to £4.1 billion a year, with suspected fraud rising despite a slight recent easing from peak levels. The article highlights increasingly sophisticated AI-enabled fake documents and identities, with London identified as a hotspot in confirmed cases.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has announced a £400,000 fund to support tenant advice services and train council enforcement officers in relation to renters’ rights. The initiative is intended to help tenants challenge unsafe housing conditions, rent increases and landlords who do not comply with the law, alongside the introduction of the Renters Rights Act.
A landlord was prosecuted after failing to comply with an Improvement Notice served by South Holland council following an inspection that identified serious hazards in a rental property in Long Sutton. The hazards included excess cold, stair-related fall risk, fire hazards, and damp and mould, and the landlord was fined after officers found the required works had not been completed.
Landlord Action reports a sharp rise in possession-related enquiries and instructions as landlords responded to the final deadline for bringing Section 21 claims under the transitional arrangements linked to the Renters’ Rights Act. The article also gives an early snapshot of how landlords are using the revised Section 8 grounds, with rent arrears and sale-related grounds currently the most common.
A Norfolk letting agent has admitted 19 counts of fraud by false representation after allegedly taking nearly £50,000 from landlords and tenants over several years. The complaints involved unpaid landlord funds and tenant deposits that were not protected in approved schemes, and sentencing is due on 1 September.
