Landlords in Bristol face significantly tougher financial penalties as the council consults on a new civil penalty policy designed to enforce private housing standards more aggressively.
The move follows the implementation of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, which introduced new breaches and offences carrying fines of up to £7,000 for breaches and up to £40,000 for offences.
The legislation also places additional enforcement duties on councils in relation to landlord compliance.
New statutory guidance issued in November 2025 sets out national starting levels for certain breaches and offences and places greater emphasis on formal enforcement action. Councils are expected to consider a wide range of aggravating and mitigating factors when setting penalties.
HIGHER FINANCIAL PENALTIES
For landlords and managing agents operating in Bristol, the consultation signals a clear shift towards more formalised and potentially higher financial penalties as the regulatory environment tightens under the 2025 Act.
Bristol City Council is now consulting on a draft civil penalty policy that will govern how officers determine financial penalties for both new and existing private housing offences.
A civil penalty is a financial sanction imposed directly by a local authority on an individual or organisation, offering an alternative to prosecution in certain cases.
Under the proposed framework, council officers would have a structured policy to follow when deciding the level of fine in cases involving housing standards and property management failures.
STATUTORY GUIDANCE
While the draft policy closely mirrors the government’s statutory guidance, the council retains discretion in several key areas. These include setting starting levels for licence condition offences and electrical safety regulation breaches, and determining how aggravating and mitigating factors are interpreted and applied.
The council is also proposing that breaches of the Electrical Safety Regulations affecting privately rented homes will fall under the new policy.
