Landlords in Salford who fail to fix dangerous problems such as damp and mould now face fines of up to £7,000.
Councils across England will have been given a new power to issue landlords fines of up to £7,000 for serious hazards in private renters’ homes, which could also include faulty electrics, structural issues and freezing temperatures.
The new penalty sits alongside existing powers councils can use to tackle unsafe homes that put tenants at risk. These include forcing repairs, carrying out emergency works and recovering costs from landlords who fail to act.
Housing Secretary Steve Reed has written to mayors and has urged councils to use the powers at their disposal to tackle unsafe housing.
Mr Reed said: “Renters deserve a safe, secure place to call home and our landmark Renters’ Rights Act gives councils more options to take speedy action against rogue landlords.
“These include the new power to issue a £7,000 penalty to a landlord when there is a hazard like severe damp or mould in a privately rented home – a situation that no family should have to live with.”
Salford Mayor Paul Dennett hailed the government’s move to provide an “additional tool” to clamp down on careless landlords.
“”Everyone deserves to live in a safe, warm and healthy home,” he told Salford Now.“We welcome the Government’s introduction of new powers that will allow councils to issue financial penalties of up to £7,000 where serious hazards are found in privately rented homes.
“These new powers provide an additional tool that will help councils intervene more quickly when serious hazards are identified and further strengthen our ability to tackle poor-quality housing.”
Private rents in Salford rose to an average of £1,162 a month in May 2026, up 4.2% from £1,115 the previous year. The increase was lower than the rise recorded across the North West, where rents grew by 5.4% over the same period.
Mayor Dennett continued: “The council has a strong track record of taking action to improve standards in the private rented sector and protect tenants from unsafe housing conditions and our priority remains that every resident in Salford should have access to a safe, decent and well-managed home.”
Alongside the new fines, the Government is updating the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) in England.
The final framework comes into force on Tuesday with the aim of making it easier for councils to spot risks and act quickly to protect tenants in all types of housing.
Ben Twomey, chief executive of Generation Rent, said: “Homes are the foundations of our lives, and no renter should have to live alongside mould, dampness and other risks to our health.
“The council being given the power to fine landlords up to £7,000 if they ignore repairs is an essential step towards raising the quality of rented homes. For renters to feel the benefit, though, councils must seek out and take action against those landlords who ignore unsafe conditions and profit from misery.”
Clara Collingwood, director at the Renters’ Reform Coalition, said: “Homes are the foundation for our lives, but for far too long hundreds of thousands of renters have been living in substandard homes that undermine our health and cause serious harm to children and vulnerable adults.
“It’s great that authorities have new powers to tackle this, and they must start using them immediately to crack down on landlords who profit from unhealthy homes.
“And now that we have new rights as renters, we need to use them – any tenant living with serious disrepair or damp and mould should know they don’t have to put up with it any longer.
“With new rights and protections, and section 21 evictions scrapped, we can’t be evicted for complaining and shouldn’t be afraid to report dodgy landlords to the council.”
Ben Beadle, chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA), said: “The overwhelming majority of landlords provide good quality and safe housing.
“That will be made easier thanks to the Government’s work with the NRLA to improve guidance for landlords and tenants to identify and swiftly rectify hazards in properties.
“Good landlords, who meet standards and undertake repairs swiftly, will be unaffected by these tough penalties.
“But those criminal landlords, who undermine the reputation of all those who do the right thing, will feel the full force of the law.”
He added: “Ministers need to develop pro-growth policies to support responsible landlords to provide the new, good quality homes to rent that so many tenants desperately need.”
With reporting from Vicky Shaw, Press Association Personal Finance Correspondent
