Housing enforcement guidance

Where a notice is not complied with, we may have the option to carry out work in default recovering the costs involved from the relevant person.

When deciding whether to peruse work in default the following will be considered

• the extent and cost of the work

• the impact of not completing the work

• other options available ie prosecution, civil penalty or rent repayment order

Work in default can be undertake as well as prosecution, civil penalty or rent repayment order to ensure the work is completed as both those options are designed to punish the offender but do not necessarily result in the work being competed.

We will always aim to recover the costs incurred in carrying out work in default by one of the following methods:

• invoice for the applicable amount and County Court action if the invoice is not settled in full

• recovery orders (paragraph 12 of schedule 3) requiring rent to be paid directly to us until the debt owed by the relevant person is paid

• a charge put on the property. The charge remains in place until the debt is cleared. The debt will accrue compound interest at the relevant rate until the debt is settled

• by using powers under the Law of Property Act 1925 to enforce the sale of the property where a charge is secured against it.