Landlords face charges for warning notices (From Gazette & Herald)

Landlords face charges for warning notices

8:32am Tuesday 7th February 2012 in News

LANDLORDS in Ryedale who do not look after their properties could be ordered to pay for the cost of warning notices.

Ryedale District Council is considering following other North Yorkshire authorities’ lead and introducing charges whenever officers serve a housing enforcement notice, replacing its traditional “informal” arrangements with property owners and letting agencies.

The charges, if agreed, would be based on an hourly rate of £45 and the final cost to landlords would depend on the amount of time council officers spend inspecting a property, preparing a case and serving the notice ordering repairs or improvements to be carried out.

The maximum charge per notice would be £300.

If agreed by the council, the new system would come into force at the start of April.

In a report on the issue, the authority’s head of economy and housing, Julian Rudd, said the charges would “reduce the risk of rented property not being maintained” and encourage “unwilling” landlords to take the necessary action.