Another big council to introduce Selective Licensing to ‘boost standards’
Stockton on Tees Council has launched a consultation as part of its plans to drive up private rental property standards and management.
Agents and landlords in the North East will be getting ready for more red tape after Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council said it was planning introduce Selective Licensing for private rented housing across the Borough (main picture) in a bid to drive up private rental property standards and management.
The Council launched its consultation on Monday and is the latest step in proposals to introduce Selective Licensing, bringing forward improvements to private rented housing property condition standards and management in Central Stockton, North Thornaby and Newtown.
LICENCE
Under the proposals, all private landlords operating in a designated Selective Licensing area would be required to obtain a licence from the Council.
The licence would be valid for five years and would contain a series of conditions that the licence holder will be required to comply with.
Councillors approved the consultation at a Cabinet meeting last month.
Councillor Nigel Cooke, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Housing, says: “Central Stockton and North Thornaby are areas in our Borough experiencing low housing demand and where the number of privately rented properties far exceeds the national average.
“It’s really important that people tell us what they think about the Selective Licensing Scheme.”
The move to introduce Selective Licensing follows similar moves from other councils across England and could prove lucrative for Council coffers.
FINED LANDLORDS
The Neg reported in August how one London Borough had fined landlords more than £200,000 for HMO licensing failures.
Haringey Council revealed it issued 43 penalties for not securing a licence totalling £207,500 using Civil Penalty Notices (CPN) that it says helps strengthen the private rented sector and protect residents in the borough.
Landlords who rent their HMO’s without a licence are not only at risk of receiving a CPN from the council but can also be instructed to pay back rent to tenants.
