What can the council do to enforce repairs?
The council has the power to require landlords to repair and improve their properties.
Environmental health tel: (020) 8825 6622
Office hours: Mon-Fri, 8.30am-4.30pm
Email:
privatehousing@ealing.gov.uk
Serving a notice
The council can require landlords to carry out repairs,
regardless of tenure and ownership. This usually involves
informal consultation with the property owner on repairs needed. If
an agreement cannot be reached, or the agreement is not kept, a
formal notice will be served requesting the repairs to be done
within a specified period of time. Ignoring the formal notice can
result in prosecution (with a maximum penalty of £5,000)
and/or the council doing the work 'in default'.
Carrying out work in default
In some circumstances the council can carry out works
that it has requested others to do. This is called works in
default, and it is sometimes the quickest and most satisfactory way
of making necessary repairs.
In these cases the council will pay the bill but then recover the costs, including staff time in carrying out the works. The exact procedure varies, but in most cases the debt is registered as a charge at the Local Land Registry. This gives the council powers similar to those of a building society or bank: the debt incurs interest and if it remains unpaid the council can sell the property.
What to expect from enforcement officers
The
enforcement policy (pdf) outlines what
businesses, consumers and residents can expect from enforcement
officers.
It protects the health, safety, welfare and consumer interests of those who live and work in the borough.