NEW powers adopted by Bury Council this week allow the local authority to fine rogue landlords and letting agents up to £30,000.

Fines could be issued if health and safety hazards are not addressed, overcrowding limits are exceeded or other regulations are breached.

Councillors agreed to the implement the civil financial penalty policy on Wednesday, bringing it in line with other Greater Manchester authorities.

Cllr Clare Cummins, cabinet member for housing services, said adopting the new policy sends a message that the local authority is not a “soft touch”.

She said: “We need to send a clear message to rogue landlords and letting agents that they are not welcome within the borough.”

The Housing and Planning Act 2016 allows financial penalties, up to a maximum of £30,000, to be imposed as an alternative to prosecution for certain housing offences.

Prior to the introduction of this legislation, options to the local authority where housing act offences had been committed, were limited to issuing a formal caution or pursuing the matter through the courts for criminal prosecution.

But the lengthy and costly prosecution process meant that where an offence had been committed and deemed not in the public interest to pursue any further, the council could only consider a formal caution as a realistic sanction.

Local authorities can now issue a civil penalty for the following offences:

Failing to comply with an improvement notice

Offences in relation to the licensing of HMOs (Houses in Multiple Occupation)

Offences in relation to selective licensing

Failing to comply with an overcrowding notice

Breach of Management regulations in respect of HMOs

The council has now approved its own policy on these fines in conjunction with other local authorities in Greater Manchester to ensure consistency.

When the council decides that the most appropriate course of action is to issue a financial penalty, they will do so by following the legal process detailed within the policy, which includes serving legal notices.

Each case will be judged on its own merit, taking into account the evidence available, according to a council report.

The power to issue a penalty only applies to offences committed after April 2017.

All money generated through the issuing of financial penalties provides a small income stream for the council which is directly ring-fenced to come back into the urban renewal department to continue with their enforcement activities in the private rented sector.