Councils are to be given powers to inspect rented homes without providing notice to landlords.
The powers have been added by the Government to its Renters' Rights Bill, which has completed its report stage in the House of Lords and is expected to become law in the autumn.
Housing minister Baroness Taylor of Stevenage said the move was being taken as ‘local authorities have told us that providing notice can result in unscrupulous landlords hiding evidence of breaches, intimidating tenants and temporarily fixing issues before reverting to non-compliance'.
But former Local Government Association chair Lord Jamieson criticised the plans, arguing they were ‘intrusive' and could lead to ‘legal challenges, confusion and even misuse'.
