Two buy-to-let landlords in Burnley have been fined a total of £27,500 as part of Burnley Council’s campaign to clamp down on rogue operators in the private rented sector.

The authority’s housing team has served three notices to landlords for failing to licence their properties under the selective licensing scheme.

The notices relate to three properties in the Trinity and Queensgate selective licensing areas.

The penalties incurred were £12,500 for one landlord and two penalties of £7,500 for another landlord. The landlords have the right of appeal to a tribunal.

Cllr John Harbour, executive member for housing and environment, said: “The council is always willing to work with private landlords and support them in providing good quality and well managed properties for residents, and I’m pleased to say the majority of private landlords in our borough are professional and follow the rules.

“However there are a number of landlords who don’t follow the rules and don’t look after their tenants properly.

“The use of these powers support the ongoing work that the council carries out to tackle these so-called rogue landlords and sends out a strong message.”

The hefty fines handed to the two landlords highlight the fact that he council is “very serious” about raising housing standards in Burnley, according to Cllr Mark Townsend.

He commented: “This is part of our new strategy to ensure that everybody complies with regulations and really ups their game in this area.

“Unfortunately our policy of education has failed in the past but this shows we are prepared to take serious action against those who won’t comply.”