Almost a million landlords could be forcedto pay compensation to tenants if they are unable to fix problems in theirproperties during lockdown.
如果无法在隔离间解决房屋问题，将近一百万位房东可能被迫向房客支付赔偿。
Payments could easily add up to thousandsof pounds and will come on top of legal fees and the cost of having to carryout emergency repairs.
支付的费用可能加起来轻易达数千英镑，且还不包括律师费和必须进行紧急维修的费用。
This is due to the fact that landlords arenow under stricter legal requirements than ever to ensure their homes are safeand healthy, as the Homes Act came into force in March.
这是因为自3月份《房屋法》生效以来，房东现在比以往任何时候都受到更严格的法律要求，需保证其房屋安全和健康。
It lays out clear requirements forlandlords on how they should make their homes fit for habitation and givestenants the power to take legal action against them if they fail to do so.
该法案明确规定房东应该保证其出租房屋适合居住并给与租客权利向无法做到的房东提起法律诉讼。
But property owners are struggling to findcontractors to do the work, as many electricians and plumbers are unwilling totravel while the country is in lockdown.
但业主们正努力寻找承包商来装修，而许多电工及管道工不愿在封闭管理期间出差。
While courts may take this intoconsideration when awarding compensation, lawyers have warned that prosecutionswill still take place.
虽然法庭在衡量赔款时也会考虑这种情况，律师们警告说业主仍难逃惩处。
Around three million people, includingchildren, are currently self-isolating in homes considered to pose a seriousrisk to their health, according to charity Shelter. The vast majority of theseproperties are owned by private landlords.
慈善机构避难所（Shelter）表示，目前有大约300万人，包括儿童，正在被认为对健康构成严重威胁的房屋中隔离。这些物业绝大多数归私人业主所有。
Owners of properties considered by thecourt to be unfit for habitation may have to pay compensation to their tenantand/or pay for the necessary improvements.
被法庭认为不适合居住的物业的业主可能需要向租客支付赔钱并支付房屋必要的修缮费用。
Mark Montaldo of law firm CEL Solicitorssaid that compensation was often 25pc of the rent charged while the propertywas in an unhealthy state, however in the most extreme cases buy-to-let ownerscould be forced to pay tenants £10,000 or more – plus the cost of repairs.
CEL Solicitors律师事务所的马克·蒙塔尔多表示，在房屋处于不健康状态时，赔偿金通常是所收取租金的25％，但是在最极端的情况下，以出租为目的的物业业主可能被迫向租客支付10,000英镑或更高金额，另加维修费用。
Yet they are likely to struggle to getproblems fixed during the lockdown.
但是他们可以在隔离期间尽力将房屋存在的问题修好。
A survey by the National ResidentialLandlords Association (NRLA), a trade body, showed that 38pc of landlords arestruggling to source maintenance contractors at the moment and just over athird are having difficulties undertaking work in their properties becauseeither they or their tenants are self-isolating.
一家名为全国住宅业主协会(NRLA)的行业协会最近的一项调查中显示38%业主正在努力寻找维修承包商，同时也有三分之一的业主因为自己或租客在居家隔离中而无法进行房屋修缮。
compensation n. 补偿；报酬；赔偿金
come on top of 出现在…以外
come into force 生效；开始实施 come into operation , go into effect
take legal action against 对…提出诉讼 sue 起诉
take into consideration 顾及；考虑到……take account of
award compensation
v. 把（某物）授予（某人）；把（合同、佣金）给（人、组织）；[法]（(赔偿金等的) 裁定额
prosecution n. 起诉，检举；进行；经营
prosecute vi. 起诉；告发；检举
prosecutor 检察官
buy-to-let 购房出租
undertake vt. 承担，保证；从事；同意；试图
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