CROOKED landlords in Blackburn and Darwen are facing a town hall crackdown.

The local authority has been given new powers to deal with landlords who try to cheat the system and claim extra benefits.

The changes will give the council power to force them to provide private information about their dealings and, in the worst cases, stop benefits payments.

New laws mean landlords can be asked give information about the ownership of property.

If the information is not submitted within set time limits, the landlord can be fined up to £1,000 plus a daily penalty of £40 until the information is supplied.

And property owners will also be guilty of a criminal offence if they fail to notify the council when tenants move out of a property. The council will be given the power to say whether a landlord is a "fit and proper" person.

Anyone who has been involved in benefit fraud faces being blacklisted by the council. The move will mean housing benefit will no longer be paid direct to the landlord.

A publicity campaign is being launched to highlight the initiative and leaflets will be sent to property owners across Blackburn and Darwen.

Rights, advice and entitlements chairman Maureen Bateson said: "We are aware that there are some unscrupulous landlords.

"We will be using the powers available to us under the terms of this new act to reduce the number of fraudulent claims.

"Fit and proper landlords who uphold the law have nothing to fear from this new act.

"These new powers would only be exercised if we could reasonably expect the landlord to pass on information about tenants who may not be entitled to the benefit they are claiming, then we will act."

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