Rogue landlords who put tenants at risk should face stiffer government penalties, says the National Residential Landlords Association.

The landlord’s body has set out its own shadow white paper of recommendations for the private rented sector, while the market waits for the government’s White Paper setting out its reforms in this area, expected in the autumn.

The NRLA points to figures previously cited by the government which show that just 43 landlords are currently listed on the database of rogue landlords in England. This is despite previous suggestions by ministers that up to 10,500 rogue landlords may operate in the sector.

It adds that the number of statutory provisions in England has risen by 40% over the last decade to 168 pieces of legislation, which it says “demonstrates that local authorities’ inability to enforce existing legislation, as opposed to a lack of powers, is the key problem in this area”.

In the decade to 2019, the amount spent on local authority environmental health officers in England and Wales fell by around a third, according to data from regulatory campaign group Unchecked UK.

The NRLA calls on the government to conduct an assessment of the ability of councils to enforce the wide range of powers already at their disposal “to tackle rogue and criminal landlords”.

Government should then provide long-term funding to help local authorities to build the capacity to tackle bad practices, says the landlord’s body.

The NRLA also calls on the government to end Section 21, or ‘no fault’ evictions, which allows landlords to repossess their properties from assured shorthold tenants without having to establish fault on the part of the tenant.

However, the body does want landlords to have the “ability to take back possession of properties but would balance these additional rights with robust protections for tenants”.

The NRLA also calls for a new landlord and tenant dispute body, similar to the ACAS employment service, to allow landlords and tenants to reach agreement without going to court.

It adds, where cases do end up in court they must be dealt with more efficiently, making use of video technology wherever possible.

The association says: “At present, it can take around a year for a legitimate repossession claim to reach a conclusion.”

NRLA chief executive Ben Beadle says: “We need to address the chronic failure to take action against rogue and criminal landlords.

“It puts tenants at risk and undermines the reputation of the overwhelming majority of landlords who play by the rules.

“As ministers develop their plans for the sector, they need to be clear whether any of what they propose will be properly enforced.

“More broadly, it is vital that the forthcoming White Paper strikes a fair balance between the needs of both tenants and landlords.

“It is in that spirit that we continue to work with the government and others to develop workable policies that protect tenants from bad landlords whilst ensuring good landlords have the confidence to provide the homes to rent the country desperately needs.”

In the Queen’s Speech in May the government will bring forward proposals to “enhance the rights of those who rent” through the issuing of a White Paper rather than a bill.

The Housing department has since said ending Section 21 and a right of redress scheme are among the ideas it is considering.