Glasgow’s unregistered landlords are being warned they now risk a £50,000 fine if they fail to register with the city council.
Around 6000 private landlords in Glasgow are estimated to have failed to record their details with the council, despite having a clear legal responsibility to do so. A landlord applying to register gives the council the opportunity to determine whether the individual is a ‘fit and proper’ person to rent out property.
The landlord register is regarded as a key element in the bid to drive up standards and ensure decent housing for tenants. Councillor Gordon Matheson, leader of Glasgow City Council, 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.
Matheson argues that tenants deserve to know for certain that their landlord is on the level: “Being on the register is the best way we have to indicate whether a landlord is prepared to look after their property and, in turn, their tenants. Anyone who has not registered must do so now.”
The push to target unregistered landlords is being promoted by the council’s Housing Services Division. This service is bringing together officers from Environmental Health, the Private Landlord Registration Unit, the House of Multiple Occupation unit and Glasgow Community and Safety Services, to provide simplified support for house holders.
A new contact number – 0141 287 9914 – provides a single point of contact for householders, owners and landlords who require help, advice or information on issues such as: environmental impact on property; anti-social behaviour; issues relating to private sector landlords
The new Housing Services section will also seek to establish landlord forums for areas of the city where problems have been previously identified, such as Brucefield in the east and Cardonald in the south-west. The forums will be voluntary, but by drawing together landlords in key areas it is intended that best practice for landlords can be widely established.
Matheson said: “The vast majority of landlords understand their responsibilities and act accordingly. It is in the interests of the landlords to get organised and use these forums as an opportunity to set standards that match the expectations of ordinary householders across the city.”
The council’s call for unregistered landlords to put their affairs in order has been backed by the Scottish Association of Landlords. Association director John Blackwood 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.
"Our association members follow a clear code of practice that is designed to ensure the best possible standards for their tenants. We welcome the council's initiative to improve standards in private rented housing. Bringing together all the different services that have powers in relation to private housing should make life easier for landlords and tenants alike."
Background:
There are currently 25,000 registered landlords in Glasgow. Landlord registration is a requirement of the Anti-Social Behaviour (Scotland) Act 2004. From August 31 this year the maximum fine for failure to register was increased from £5000 to £50,000.
