“No one should live in unsafe or unsuitable housing,” said Social Security minister Sir Stephen Timms as government widened its rogue landlord crackdown to 41 councils on 20 December. The Department for Work and Pensions says the move will better protect around 400,000 households and recover public money via Rent Repayment Orders.

Rent Repayment Orders require landlords who flout licensing rules, ignore improvement notices or leave homes in dangerous, mould‑ridden condition to pay back rent. Under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, the maximum claim rises from 12 months to 24 months and can be pursued against superior landlords as well.

For the North, this lands close to home. Councils in the rollout include Leeds, Rotherham, North Lincolnshire and Calderdale in Yorkshire; County Durham, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Gateshead, Northumberland and Darlington in the North East; and Wigan and Sefton in the North West.

The scheme hinges on DWP giving councils streamlined access to Universal Credit data to complete cases. A trial in Camden has already clawed back nearly £100,000 and triggered a fraud referral-money returning to the public purse and a clear warning to non‑compliant landlords.

Key dates matter. New investigatory powers begin ramping up from late December 2025, while the two‑year recovery window applies to offences committed on or after 1 May 2026. That same day the new tenancy regime begins, ending Section 21 ‘no‑fault’ evictions.

Government guidance confirms councils can retain money recovered through Rent Repayment Orders as long as it’s reinvested in private rented sector enforcement. It also sets out transition rules: pre‑1 May 2026 offences follow the old law; post‑commencement offences use the new regime.

Tenant advocates back the approach. Justice for Tenants calls the pilot “a massive win” that deters criminality and makes those who break the law shoulder more of the cost-helping fund the very enforcement that keeps homes safe.

The Act closes loopholes too. Tribunals can order payments to tenants or councils for up to two years of rent; orders can be made jointly against multiple landlords with joint and several liability, and repeat claims for the same period are blocked.

Delivery will rest on capacity. A Guardian analysis last month found two‑thirds of English councils hadn’t prosecuted a single landlord in three years despite nearly 300,000 complaints, after deep cuts to enforcement teams. Without stable funding, performance will vary.

For northern renters and landlords, the message is simple: expect firmer action. Councils named in the rollout will begin building cases using DWP data sharing now, while the two‑year recovery limit kicks in for offences from 1 May 2026. Ministers say this protects tenants and taxpayers alike.