Chesterfield Borough Council has issued financial penalties totalling £8,652 to a local letting agent for breaching the Renters' Rights Act. The penalties were reduced to £7,354.20 after the agent paid within the specified timeframe.
The breaches were discovered after the council's private housing team received a complaint from tenants about housing standards at a rented property shortly after they moved in.
What the letting agent did wrong
During its investigation, the council found the agent had issued a six-month fixed-term tenancy agreement. Fixed-term assured tenancies are prohibited under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, which came into force on 1 May 2026.
The council also discovered that when the tenants expressed an intention to complain, they were told to leave the property and were moved into alternative accommodation owned by a different, unknown landlord. This prompted the second financial penalty.
Council enforcement action
Alongside the fines, Chesterfield Borough Council served an improvement notice on the original property to ensure it met required letting standards and to protect future tenants from substandard accommodation.
Councillor Jean Innes, the council's cabinet member for housing, said the council had engaged with landlords and letting agents across the borough before the new legislation came into force to ensure they understood their obligations. She added that the case demonstrates the council will take action where agents fail to comply with their duties.