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Bad landlords could be fined by Bradford Council in the future instead of what the council calls “the expensive and lengthy process of going through the courts”.
A report going to the Council's Executive on 7 November asks for housing enforcement policy to be amended so the council can issue civil penalty notices for offences as laid down in the Housing and Planning Act 2016 instead of prosecution.
Money from fines would then be ring-fenced and invested back into the service.
The new act also includes rent repayment orders which means tenants could be recompensed by the Property Tribunal for monies paid while they were living in sub-standard housing.