Government funding to root out criminal landlords is welcome but inadequate to tackle the scale of the problem, according to the Residential Landlords Association (RLA).

Ministers have confirmed details of more than 100 local authorities in England that will share £4m in new funding, as part of what it describes as a “crackdown on criminal landlords”.

Whilst the RLA has welcomed the Government’s focus on rooting them out, it warns that the amount is nowhere near enough to tackle the crooks. David Smith, policy director at the RLA, said: “We welcome the Government’s focus on rooting out criminal landlords. What is needed is better enforcement of the powers already available to tackle the minority who bring the sector into disrepute.

“(This) funding though is nowhere near enough. Instead of offering inadequate and sporadic pots of money, it is critical that the Government provides proper, multi-year funding to enable councils to plan and prepare workable strategies to find the criminal landlords. This should be supported by councils having the political will to prioritise enforcement against the crooks rather than tying good landlords up in licensing schemes that do nothing to protect tenants.”