Council housing enforcement officers and police entered the property, located in Wembley, around 06.00 a.m. on 23rd May after receiving a tip off from neighbouring residents.

As the city's PRS selective licensing scheme is due to start the Regulator of Social Housing said the council's own breach of the home standard risked "serious detriment" to the council's tenants.

Whilst the Ministry of Justice says the Office for National Statistics figures show the highest repossession rates for both PRS tenancies and social tenancies are in London it also says the the increases were national.

The selective licensing scheme will cover single household PRS properties in 25 of the city's wards and the additional licensing scheme will cover all smaller HMO properties (3 to 4 occupants) in the city.

The Bill will be published today and will likely go before Parliament after Prime Minister's Questions has concluded.

Welwyn Hatfield Council imposed the fine in October 2021 as the landlord had failed to declare his status as a letting agent and had also failed to be a member of a government approved property redress scheme.

Postponed last week due to alleged 'procedural issues' this major piece of legislative reform of the private rented sector is now set to be put before Parliament this week.

The cellar at the property had been converted into a basement flat without planning permission and the fire broke out in June 2019 with the tenant dying from his injuries 10 days later.

West Northamptonshire Council's successful prosecution of the landlord followed an investigation by it's private sector housing team.