A HAMPSHIRE council has been awarded thousands of pounds in a bid to tackle criminal landlords and letting agents.

Test Valley Borough Council (TVBC) has received a £37,000 cash injection from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to help some of the borough's most vulnerable tenants.

Now the successful bid will allow TVBC to help identify and crack down on those renting out properties illegally or in poor condition.

One of the areas TVBC will focus on is weeding out landlords who rent out a property to people from multiple households without the correct licence in place, which can lead to overcrowding and poor conditions for tenants.

There are currently 40 properties licensed for multiple occupancy in Test Valley, though the authority believes there could be many more rented out illegally.

TVBC’s portfolio holder for housing and environmental health, cllr Phil Bundy, said: “It is great news that we are set to receive additional funding to support our work to improve standards in the private rented sector.

"We have lots of fantastic landlords in the borough who are providing good accommodation but this grant will enable us to identify and take enforcement action against those who provide sub-standard housing.

"It will also enable us to ensure that our most vulnerable residents are living in suitable accommodation, allowing us to target our resources at helping those most in need.”

MHCLG has awarded more than £4 million to over 100 councils across England to clamp down on criminal landlords.