Tower Hamlets Council has approved new policies aimed at strengthening renters' rights across the borough, following the implementation of the Renters' Reform Act 2025.
The council's Cabinet, meeting on Wednesday, 15 July 2026, adopted the Supplemental Enforcement Policy and the Policy on Civil Penalties to ensure the lawful, consistent, and proportionate exercise of new enforcement powers. These policies will guide the council's approach to investigating non-compliance by landlords, utilising informal and formal enforcement tools, applying civil penalties, and pursuing prosecutions or rent repayment orders.
The Renters' Reform Act 2025, which came into effect on 1 May 2026, aims to provide private renters with greater security and protections. The council's new policies are designed to help crack down on rogue landlords and improve housing standards within the borough. Specifically, the policies target landlords who fail to comply with housing standards and management obligations for privately rented properties.
Councillor Saied Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Homebuilding and Enhanced Council Homes and Neighbourhoods, highlighted the importance of these measures in ensuring that renters have greater security and protections. David Joyce, Corporate Director for Housing and Regeneration, confirmed that the new policies position the council to fully take advantage of the Renters' Reform Act and ensure landlords are held accountable.
Enforcement Measures and Penalties
The enforcement of the Act will be a collaborative effort across three service areas: housing options, private rented sector, and trading standards and regulatory services. A triage system will be in place to manage incoming enquiries and ensure residents are directed to the appropriate service. The council aims for residents to just see that single front door and that response,
with a commitment to providing timely response[s] of receipt of their complaint and also a timely response or update on where they are with it.
The Supplemental Enforcement Policy outlines that formal enforcement action may be taken as a first response if there is a risk to public health or safety, a deliberate breach of the law, or a history of non-compliance. Formal action is also typically initiated for offences related to the licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) or breaches of landlord legislation where previous informal or formal actions have not been complied with.
Potential civil penalties for landlords can be substantial. For breaches of electrical safety standards, the statutory maximum is £40,000. Similarly, offences under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977 and Housing Act 2004, such as failure to comply with an improvement notice, also carry a maximum penalty of £40,000. Other breaches, including failure to provide a written statement of terms or discrimination against tenants, have a statutory maximum of £7,000. The policy includes a matrix for determining penalty levels, with a potential 15% discount for prompt payment.
Rent Repayment Orders and Measuring Success
Rent repayment orders can be sought against landlords for various offences, including unlawful eviction, failure to comply with improvement or overcrowding notices, and offences related to unlicensed HMOs. These orders, as outlined in the Policy on Civil Penalty, allow the council to recover rent paid by tenants to the landlord where an offence has been committed.
The success of these new policies will be measured through key performance indicators (KPIs) reported to the government, including enforcement activities, statutory breaches identified, enforcement outcomes, and operational capacity. The council will also monitor local performance to ensure timely responses to complaints and clear communication of outcomes to residents.
These policies are detailed in the Supplemental Enforcement Policy (Renters Rights Act 2025 and other legislation relating to the Private Rented Sector) and the Policy on Civil Penalty under the Renters' Rights Act 2025 and other housing legislation, both available in the public reports pack for the Cabinet meeting on 15 July 2026. Public reports pack 15th-Jul-2026 15.00 Cabinet
