22 Aug 25
The Mayor of Salford has praised tough housing enforcement after rogue landlords were handed £2.2 million in fines.
According to the Manchester Evening News, the penalties were issued as part of a major enforcement crackdown targeting poor standards in the private rented sector.
The news comes after Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham launched the Good Landlord Charter, which aims to promote high standards in rental properties.
Enforcement side around the PRS is important
Salford Mayor, Paul Dennett, told the Manchester Evening News: “The whole enforcement side around the private rented sector is really important to the city of Salford.
“We’re supporting Greater Manchester local authorities with regards to the legislation and what’s possible around civil penalties, very embedded in devolution conversations around housing enforcement here, and very embedded around the operationalisation of the Good Landlord Charter.”
Since 2017, Manchester council has had the power to fine landlords who fail to respond to improvement notices or who do not hold the correct licence, such as a selective licence or HMO licence.
Councillor Tracy Kelly, the council’s housing lead, told the Manchester Evening News the licensing scheme has been a success.
She said: “We introduced the licensing scheme to improve conditions for tenants and improve management standards. So far, it has been a success. Landlords who do not comply with conditions will receive a visit from our enforcement officers and where necessary we will hand out fines.
“But the hard work does not stop here, we will continue to target landlords who fail to meet their obligations.”
113 penalties over the past two years
According to the Manchester Evening News, income from the penalties has been re-invested into the council’s housing standards and enforcement team to inspect more properties.
A previous article by Property118 reveals a National Residential Landlords Association report for 2022–23 showed English local authorities issued 1,651 civil penalties, with nearly two-thirds originating from just 20 councils. Half of England’s local authorities issued none at all.
The Times found that, in contrast, Greater Manchester’s 10 enforcement teams have issued 113 penalties over the past two years, a 43% increase.
