Landlords in Cheltenham could face fines of up to £30,000 if they mistreat their tenants and do not maintain their properties.

Civil penalties are being brought in to ensure all renters in the town are being treated properly.

Cheltenham Borough Council said while it is keen not to stifle investment in the sector it is determined to crack down on landlords who knowingly rent out unsafe or substandard accommodation.

"The council is mindful that despite its best efforts, many landlords may operate unlawfully for a significant period of time without detection, and only a proportion of landlords committing relevant offences will be discovered," said a report into the penalties.

It believes hitting those it catches in their pockets will help reduce the overall amount of rogue operators in town.

Penalties will be handed out to landlords for offences such as failing to comply with improvement notices, running an unlicensed HMO (Houses in Multiple Occupation) or overfilling their houses.

Each separate offence could attract fines ranging from £2,500 up to £30,000. Discounts will be given if the fines are paid within a certain time and landlords will have the right to appeal.

The report said civil penalties would make it clear to offenders and others that "operating unlawfully as a landlord will be financially disadvantageous ".

Cllr Flo Clucas (LD, Swindon Village), cabinet member for housing and customer services, said: the change was important for all tenants, whether in council-owned or private properties.

"We want our tenants to feel safe in their homes, " she said at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday (Sept 16).

"We want them to know that if they have an issue or a problem that will be looked at by officers of this council and action will be taken where necessary to ensure that their homes are properly furnished, maintained and sorted for those areas which are a requirement by law.

"It's really important that all tenants in Cheltenham have their voices heard."

The changes have been brought in after the government gave councils powers under the Housing and Planning Act 2016 to impose a civil penalty as an alternative to prosecution for certain offences.

The council is also preparing to make revisions to its houding policy to accommodate extra duties and financial penalty provisions within the Renters Rights Bill due for Royal Assent later this year.

Cllr Paul Baker (LD, Charlton Park) asked if any government funding was being provided to implement the civil penalties, if the council had the resources to manage the fines and where the money from fines would go.

Cllr Clucas said: "My understanding is that we haven't had any cash but that may well come a little further down the line.

"We are bringing new staff in at the moment. More is on the way but whether it will be sufficient to do what is required, particularly given this is the private sector we're talking about, I think that needs to be looked at again."

Council officers said they would provide an answer at a later date about where the money from fines would go.

Cllr Rowena Hay (LD, Oakley), leader of the council, said: "The greater majority of landlords are responsible landlords, and it's the minority we're aiming to tackle."

The Civil Penalty Notice (CPN) policy was approved unanimously with immediate effect.