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11 J. Prop. Plan. & Envtl. L. 2 (2019)

handle is hein.journals/jppel11 and id is 1 raw text is: The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at: www.emeraldinsight.com/2514-9407.htm JPPEL Tackling rogue landlords and substandard housing Local authorities' legal instruments and 2 their effectiveness Michel Vols and Alexandre Copeland Belloir Reeie s 2018 Faculty of Law, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands Revised 13 November 20 18 Accepted 24 November 2018 Abstract Purpose - In 2011, Dutch municipalities requested supplementary legal enforcement instruments to tackle rogue landlords and substandard housing. The national government implemented new legislation granting municipalities' local authorities more legal instruments in 2015. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the application and effectiveness of these instruments. Design/methodology/approach - Using both quantitative and qualitative (legal) empirical research methods, this study establishes the frequency these instruments are used and the manner they are applied in practice to determine their role in limiting abusive practices of rogue landlords. Findings - By comparing legislation and policies with their enforcement, the authors pinpoint differences between the law in the books and the law in practice and argue that the legal instruments have a stronger effect on the informal power than on formal power of local authorities. Moreover, the paper shows that the shift of responsibility from the Public Prosecutions Office to local authorities has left the Public Prosecutions Office disinterested, feeling that it no longer has to deal with substandard housing violations at all, therefore leaving the repeat offenders free to continue their activities with minor consequences. Originality/value - The paper presents original data on the ways governments address substandard housing and rogue landlords. This is the first study that analyses the fight against substandard housing in the Dutch context. Although centred on legislation and procedures in The Netherland, the paper's findings are relevant in other jurisdictions facing similar issues. Keywords Legislation, The Netherlands, Enforcement instruments, Habitability, Rogue landlords, Substandard housing Paper type Research paper Introduction Rogue landlords, also referred to as slumlords, remain one of the most hated figures in society because of their reputation of being exploiters of the downtrodden and harassers of vulnerable tenants (Block, 2008, p. 147). Their regular appearance in the media, along with the addressment of their conduct being a focal point of political debates, attests their unpopularity and how problematic their illegal and harmful practices that exploit tenants have become. Considering that the demand for private rental properties within the European rental sector grows because of an increase in geographic mobility, along with evolutions in the economic climate and the sphere of higher education (Whitehead et al., 2016, pp. 115- 116), abuse towards tenants is a more and more pressing issue that needs to be resolved. In Journal of Property, Planning and Envirorental Lw Vol. 11No. 1,2019 pp. 2-19 © Eerald PublishingLimted Financial support to conduct this study was obtained via a grant issued by the Dutch Ministry of the 2514.9407 DOIl 10.110SJPEL-I8-201&0025 Interior and Kingdom relations. This has however not influenced the study's outcome and results.

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