Council bosses vow to clampdown on landlords forcing people to live in poor quality housing across Walsall

Walsall Council bosses have vowed to crackdown on offenders and not let them get away with providing poor quality housing for people in the borough.

The authority’s cabinet agreed a refreshed Walsall Housing Standards Enforcement Policy, which leader Mike Bird described as one of the best good news stories of his 41-year career.

Since April 2018, Walsall Council has issued 131 legal notices against landlords with 17 progressing to fines adding up to almost £114,000.

In February this year, Dudley Magistrates ordered a landlord to pay £5,000 for allowing a young family to live in “squalid conditions”. He had breached an emergency prohibition order Walsall Council had placed on his property.

Other work has seen the authority list two landlords and a letting agency on a national register of rogue landlords and property agents.

Since 2020, officers have also secured 641 improved energy certificates for private rental homes and intervened in 350 cases to ensure landlords provided homes with safe electrical appliances.

Councillor Bird said: “We are not prepared to allow landlords who think they can have tenants in substandard property get away with it.

“There are lots of excellent landlords and agents operating in Walsall. Unfortunately, there continue to be those who show little or no regard to the law.

“We will tackle these rogues with robust and proportionate action. If people are concerned about the condition or management of private rented homes in the borough, get in touch with our standards team.

“This is one of the best news stories I have seen in Walsall Council since I was elected in 1980.

“Our duty is to look after our residents and make sure they have the best quality accommodation available whether that be private or public rented sector.

“We’re not going to stand by and let people get away with multi-occupation housing which are in squalid conditions, especially as we welcome people from other countries.

“We don’t not want them to have the impression Walsall is a place where we dump people.

“These landlords will be driven out, fined and if need be, driven out of business.”

Cabinet also agreed to consult on an extension of the additional licensing scheme for houses of multiple occupation, which aims to improve the quality of HMOs.

Considerations are being given to introduce the policy in the Willenhall South, Birchills Leamore, Blakenall, Bentley and Darlaston North and Darlaston South areas.

The existing additional licensing scheme covers Paddock, Palfrey, Pleck and St Matthew’s wards.