Cheshire East Council has not prosecuted a single “rogue” landlord despite receiving nearly 1,000 complaints from tenants in the past five years, writes Belinda Ryan.
Figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request reveal 945 complaints were made to Cheshire East over the five-year period.
Public Interest Lawyers collected information from English and Welsh councils, finding that more than 100 of them did not take any landlords to court between 2019/20 and 2023/24.
Six landlords were prosecuted across Cheshire by councils across the five years, with all but one case initiated by Warrington Borough Council.
Cllr Michael Gorman, chair of Cheshire East Council’s economy and growth committee, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “The figures quoted only relate to prosecutions, and do not take into account enforcement action, or work to engage proactively with landlords and tenants to positively resolve complaints, such as through mediation.
“Government guidance asks that councils only look to pursue a prosecution in the most serious of circumstances, and instead seek alternatives, which include enforcement notices and civil penalties of up to £30,000.
“Where possible, our housing officers take a stepped approach to enforcement – seeking first to educate, engage and encourage.
“In line with the council’s policies, enforcement action will not normally be considered as an initial response for breaches of legislation or regulation.
“However, there are occasions when enforcement action will be the most appropriate first course of action.”
The full report on landlord prosecutions is available here https://www.publicinterestlawyers.co.uk/statistics-and-research-on-landlord-prosecutions-in-britain
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