FOI release

Freedom of Information request - Enforcement of standards in private rented homes

Case reference FOI2026/00944

Received 26 August 2026

Published 21 September 2026

Request

I would like to request the following information about the council's private rented sector enforcement, under the Freedom of Information Act. 1. How many homes had a selective licence, if applicable, on 31 March 2025? 2. How many homes had an additional licence, if applicable, on 31 March 2025? 3. How many full-time equivalent officers did the council employ to enforce the Housing Act 2004 on 31 March 2026? For 2024-25 financial year: 4. What was the total value of final civil penalty notices that the council issued to private landlords? For 2025-26 financial year: 5. How many complaints did the council receive from private renters regarding hazards in their home? 6. How many private rented homes did the council inspect under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System? 7. In how many private rented homes did the council find Category 1 hazards? 8. How many improvement notices did the council serve on private rented homes? Please do not include hazard awareness notices or other informal notices in this figure. 9. How many enforcement notices under Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards did the council serve? 10. How many final civil penalty notices did the council issue to private landlords? 11. What was the total value of final civil penalty notices that the council issued to private landlords? 12. What was the total value of civil penalties that the council collected? (We note that some of this value may relate to penalty notices issued in the previous financial year.) 13. How many landlords of private rented homes were successfully prosecuted for criminal offences?

Response

For questions 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11 and 13, the information requested is already publicly available on the Council’s website and is therefore exempt from disclosure under section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, as the information is reasonably accessible to you by other means.

 

Enforcement action taken in the private rented housing sector – Oxford City Council

 

For question 5, please note that the Council records these complaints under the category poor conditions, rather than hazards.

 

For question 6, all HMO inspections include an assessment under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS).

 

3. How many full-time equivalent officers did the Council employ to enforce the Housing Act 2004 on 31 March 2026?

 

29.01 FTE.

 

Please note that this includes officers employed for HMO and Selective Licensing administration.

 

7. In how many private rented homes did the Council find Category 1 hazards?

197.

 

9. How many enforcement notices under Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards did the Council serve?

 

 0.

 

12. What was the total value of civil penalties that the Council collected?

 

£112,836.11.

 

Documents

There are no documents for this release.

This is Oxford City Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.

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