Local authority to use Proceeds of Crime Act to crack down on rogue landlords

A London local authority is to crack down on rogue landlords using a law normally seen in fraud cases involving forensic accountancy expert evidence.

Newham Council is to apply the Proceeds of Crime Act, originally aimed at stripping drug dealers of their ill-gotten gains, to seize money from people who charge desperate tenants a fortune to live in sub-standard accommodation.

The move follows the successful prosecution of a landlord for illegally letting a damp and overcrowded flat. A judge at Inner London Crown Court ruled that overcharged rent money should be classed as a proceed of crime and ordered the property company to repay around six thousand pounds to the tenants.

The Act enables the authorities to recover cash and assets from people convicted of offences.

END

Share on Twitter