More local authorities have announced that they want to increase the size of the areas covered by their existing selective licensing regimes.
In London the Waltham Forest council is now consulting on proposals; it calls its existing licensing system the most effective means to “regulate [private rented properties’] condition, management and occupation and to help tackle anti-social behaviour associated with private rented properties.”
Its existing selective licensing system ends next year; you can find its consultation on the new scheme here.
Weymouth and Portland council has begun its consultation on new licensing too - it wants to include the Melcombe Regis ward “because it was ranked within the 10 per cent most deprived neighbourhoods in the country according to Public Health England data.”
This council, too, says that such a scheme will “reduce deprivation, crime and anti-social behaviour in the area, by ensuring that all privately rented properties are well managed and provide safe and secure homes for tenants.”
You can see that consultation here.
Meanwhile in Thurrock there will be new selective licensing from later this year.
The council’s cabinet has approved plans to introduce additional licensing to specific parts of the borough where there are higher numbers of private landlords renting HMOs.
Under the new regulations, landlords will have to comply with national health and safety standards and local criteria before a five-year licence is granted.
The council says this will complement UK-wide mandatory licensing and assist the council in improving tenancy relations and preventing illegal evictions.
The introduction of the licence follows an 11-week public consultation launched in July last year, which asked landlords, letting agents, tenants, residents and businesses for their views on the proposals.
Figures revealed that 73 per cent of respondents strongly supported the introduction of the scheme; 83 per cent felt it would help poor performing HMO landlords raise their standards and 82 per cent believed it would improve health and safety for tenants.
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It won't work.
I have just sold a property that failed to attract good tenants no matter how many times I cleaned it up and refurbished it. Just tough luck! It would have been easy enough to get council tenants. I tried that once and that was enough financially! I lost money. The councils will have to do a lot to to make private lettings work if landlords are going to be forced to supervise the life of poor, in all ways, tenants. It is no use talking about discrimination either because That is not an item on the cash flow/profitability account. What is is damage, cleaning and constant refurbishment and councils specialize in that. As councils, they are legally obliged to help the poor and needy and they can raise tax to do that. Private landlords can not do that and making them responsible for costs in that way is financially unworkable.
Just another stealth tax.
I have started selling off my portfolio.
won't be long before there won't be any more private landlords to pick up the councils dereliction of duty
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