Rogue landlords could be fined up to £30,000 under plans to drive up the standards of privately rented housing.

Haringey Council’s cabinet on Tuesday approved plans to force all landlords in the borough renting out houses in multiple occupation (HMO) to hold a licence.

The additional HMO licensing scheme will allow the local authority to crack down on those who fail to provide good quality accommodation.

It is being rolled out amid concerns some landlords have been renting out substandard and dangerous homes while failing to tackle problems such as anti-social behaviour.

The scheme allows the council to prosecute rogue landlords or hit them with civil penalties of up to £30,000 if they breach their licence.

Cllr Emine Ibrahim, cabinet member for housing and estate renewal, said: “This regulatory framework will support good landlords and give officers the power to tackle rogue landlords who do not comply.

“The additional licensing scheme has been developed following wider evidence gathering and a public consultation. I am really pleased to bring it to council for approval.”

A third of households in Haringey live in privately rented accommodation, compared to a national average of 19 per cent.

The borough’s private rented sector grew by 46 per cent between 2001 and 2011 – and the council believes it could continue to rise.

Borough-wide licensing was backed by 70 per cent of people who responded to a council consultation – although only 45 per cent of landlords were in favour of the plans.

The council already runs a successful landlord licensing scheme within five wards in Tottenham and previously ran a five-year scheme in the Harringay ward.

It says the schemes helped to improve accommodation standards for tenants and allowed the council to tackle issues arising from poorly managed HMOs.