Burnley Council is poised to strengthen its crackdown on rogue landlords, with plans to introduce tougher financial penalties of up to £40,000.

The authority’s Executive is set to vote on a revised Civil Penalties Policy at its meeting tomorrow (September 16), with the changes designed to align Burnley’s enforcement regime with powers introduced under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025.

The national legislation increases the maximum civil penalty available to councils from £30,000 to £40,000 and gives local authorities additional powers to tackle poor housing conditions and bad property management.

These measures are another tool that the authority can use to enforce higher standards in Burnley’s private rental market, which accounts for a quarter of all homes in the town and consists of largely Victorian and Edwardian terraced housing.

The policy covers issues including serious hazards in rented homes, overcrowding, electrical safety failures and breaches of HMO and licensing regulations.

Under the proposed policy, landlords and agents could face penalties of up to £7,000 for less serious breaches, rising to £40,000 for the most severe offences or repeat contraventions.

The move forms part of Burnley Council’s broader efforts to improve standards in the private rented sector, which has been a longstanding focus for the authority.

Large areas of Burnley are already covered by selective landlord licensing schemes, requiring private landlords to obtain a licence and meet specific management standards at over 3700 homes covered by the scheme.

The council has argued the schemes help tackle poor property conditions, anti-social behaviour and low housing demand in some neighbourhoods, while enabling additional enforcement action against landlords who fail to comply with legal requirements.

Burnley has also operated additional licensing schemes for houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), giving the council oversight of shared rented accommodation that falls outside the scope of mandatory national licensing requirements.

If voted through as expected, the revised penalties policy would provide officers with a clear framework for determining when financial sanctions should be used instead of pursuing criminal prosecutions through the courts.

Council documents state that each case would continue to be assessed on its own merits to ensure any penalty is proportionate to the offence committed.

Councillor Howard Baker, the council’s executive member for housing and planning, said the changes would help the authority deal with the minority of landlords who fall short of required standards.

He said: “The vast majority of landlords take their responsibilities seriously and provide good quality, well managed homes.

“This updated policy is about making sure we have the right tools to deal with the minority who don’t.

“Poorly maintained or badly managed properties don’t just affect the people living in them, they can have an impact on neighbouring properties, streets and whole communities.”

He added that the council would continue working with responsible landlords while taking firm action where standards were not met.

The report will be considered by Burnley Council’s Executive on September 16. If approved, the updated policy will come into force as the authority prepares to use the new powers available through the Renters’ Rights Act 2025.