Pilot scheme finds high proportion of rental homes need work - claim

A council claims that a pilot licensing scheme has discovered a very high proportion of rental homes requiring improvement.

Plans to extend Gedling council’s selective licensing scheme are now being considered.

A final decision will be made on Thursday of next week.

In October 2018, a  pilot selective scheme was launched in the area covering 400 rental properties.

A council statement goes on to say: “Of those inspected, 78 per cent were identified as requiring remedial works to bring them up to the minimum legal safety standard and protect the health and safety of tenants. 

“Forty properties inspected had imminent hazards in areas such as fire safety because of inadequate fire protection or detection, which all required immediate action to protect tenants.”

Now a consultation process has been held to consider widening the scheme with some 650 responses - these will be discussed at next week’s meeting.

Council leader John Clarke says: “One of our main priorities is to improve the health and wellbeing of our residents and reduce health inequalities. An important part of that is to ensure our residents’ homes are safe and suitable.

“Our pilot scheme found that 78 per cent of privately rented properties needed work carrying out to them to bring them up to a safe and legal standard for residents to live in. 

“As a direct result of Selective Licensing we’ve been able to work with landlords to make the necessary improvements to their properties to help improve the lives and safety of their tenants.

“By extending this scheme to other parts of the borough we’ll be able to monitor privately rented properties closer and be able to do more to step in to help even more residents and landlords if needed.”