The seaside resort of Great Yarmouth is moving to the next stage in its plans for licensing of 60% of the town’s PRS.

The local council’s cabinet recently voted to pursue plans for an expanded selective licensing scheme covering 5,000 homes, which will cost landlords £784 for each property.

Great Yarmouth Borough Council has now launched a public consultation finishing on 1 September on the plan, which would start next year.

A previous scheme, which finished at the end of last year, covered just one ward, and the new one will be for three wards, Nelson, Southtown and Cobholm, and Central and Northgate.

Selective licensing would help us improve standards and ensure properties are managed properly.”

Paul Wells, the council’s portfolio holder for Environment and Sustainability, Waste and Licensing (main picture), says: “Selective licensing would help us improve standards and ensure properties are managed properly.

“However, to make sure the proposed scheme is as effective as possible, it is crucial we get as much feedback as we can.”

Wells says: “Some privately rented properties are in a poor condition, and we are determined to improve standards. Bad housing has a detrimental impact on people and our residents deserve better where there are problems.

“Most landlords want to provide good-quality homes, but sadly that is not always the case.”

The scheme would allow the council to “better tackle health hazards and overcrowding” by allowing it to systematically inspect properties to ensure gas and electric certificates are up to date, he says.

Big seaside town to ramp up regulation of rented homes

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