Council given green light for unusual EPC-linked licensing scheme
Hackney says it wants to use Selective Licensing to upgrade the fuel efficiency of its PRS stock as fuel prices soar.
Letting agents and their landlord clients in the London borough of Haringey will soon have to abide by a Selective Licensing scheme to include measures requiring those with low or non-existent EPCs to upgrade them.
The unusual requirement, which is allowed under Selective Licensing regulations, has been given the green light by the Secretary of State following a consultation by Haringey last year.
Its scheme will cover 14 or the 19 wards within the borough or some 30,000 PRS properties.
The new scheme will include properties let within the east of the borough to a single family or two unrelated sharers and which will soon require a licence from Haringey to legally let the property.
This scheme is in addition to the existing borough-wide licensing scheme for HMOs.”
With a specific focus on reducing fuel poverty, the Selective Licensing scheme will help the council identify properties with the worst energy efficiency ratings and provide landlords with the relevant support and education to adapt their properties and effectively measure their carbon emissions, the council says.
Those who apply for an ‘early bird’ Selective Licensing application will benefit from a discounted fee. Landlords will pay £350 per property instead of £600, should they sign up early.
Cllr Dana Carlin, Cabinet Member for House Services, Private Renters and Planning, said: “With over 40% of the borough renting from a private landlord, we want to ensure all our residents live in warm and safe homes.
“The Selective Licensing scheme will enable us to work with landlords to improve the quality of the housing stock in the private rented sector and support our private renters.”
So let me get this straight, – Councils already have power to enforce the legislative Energy standards, and can easily find them in an online search, ( and could for all the applications for licensing that get submitted – )
but want an extra layer of Bureaucracy where they’re not using the existing measures ???
Well said Mick but we all know that this licencing is not a pro tenant measure, rather an anti landlord scheme.
Who’s paying for this then?
Cause if tenants are paying cheap rent ie. Landlord looking after em, & then Council want £350 or £600 & maybe £5000 or £30,000 to upgrade from E to a C, Landlord then says I can no longer look after u with cheap rent. Cheap rent doesn’t pay for these outgoings, I’ve not got to charge u what the Landlord is charging his better off tenants up the road who’s paying more to live in that New build.
Has anyone asked the tenants what they want? We know they want the better house, but when u give them choice I can give u New build for £1000pm or still decent house but not New build standards for £700pm, I know what most tenants say.