Nine Govanhill landlords banned from renting homes

Nine landlords in the Govanhill area of Glasgow have been struck off a landlord register after being found unfit to rent out property.

One landlord was renting a property with faulty electrics, no hot water, a broken toilet and holes in the floor.

The landlords now face criminal prosecution and fines of up to £50,000 if they attempt to let their property.

The council was able to make eight of the bans as a result of an Enhanced Enforcement Area (EEA) in Govanhill.

Glasgow City Council has special powers to clamp down on any rogue landlords operating within the designated area.

The eight landlords with property within the EEA all failed to provide a range of certification that includes an enhanced criminal record check, buildings insurances, energy performance, gas safety and confirmation that tenants received tenant information packs.

There were also concerns about the condition of two of the properties.

'Taken to task'

The ninth landlord had premises that failed to meet the tolerable standard expected for rented homes.

All decisions followed submissions to the council's licensing and regulatory committee.

Councillor Mhairi Hunter said: "The EEA means the council has the right to demand high standards from landlords working in Govanhill, otherwise they will ultimately be taken to task.

"But the EEA has also provided a platform for better overall engagement with landlords and that has led directly to a substantial improvement in housing conditions, a big increase in the number of closes being factored and a drop in anti-social behaviour."

The Enhanced Enforcement Area was first established in four Govanhill blocks in September 2015 through the Housing (Scotland) Act 2014.

The EEA is due to be rolled out across a further 14 blocks in south-west Govanhill.

Since the introduction of the EEA, 15 landlords have either been removed or refused entry to the landlord's register, which is maintained by the council.