Licensing fines for agents go through the roof

It already looks like 2023 is on track to see licensing fines for agents and landlords reaching nearly double the 2022 level. 

Industry supplier Kamma says total fines for letting agents and landlords have increased by over £1m pounds in the past 12 months.

And in just the last three months, the total value of fines for letting agents and landlords has increased by more than half a million from £8,157,745 in December 2022 to £8,668,895 now. 

London’s Camden council continues to top the nforcement list in terms of the number of cases brought forward, followed closely by Newham and Waltham Forest. Yet, the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham still has the highest average value of fines per case at £19,800. 

Eight new council licensing schemes have launched so far this year, with at least five more planned to start in the coming quarter. 

Kamma chief executive Orla Shields explains: “[We have] published a licensing report that summarises all the trends seen in the private rental sector including property licensing, enforcement, and licensing fines in the last three months. This report gives agents an overview of all the latest schemes throughout the last quarter. 

“We hope this report will provide agents with a good understanding of the current licensing landscape and help keep them up to date with new licensing scheme developments.”