Landlords in major UK town issued with licensing warning
Blackpool Council has told landlords who have so far not co-operated with licensing conditions, that they face prosecution and fines.
Landlords in a major UK town are being warned they must get licensed or face prosecution and fines.
The local council in Blackpool has urged tenants to check if their home should be licensed and whether the owner has paid the fee.
Selective licensing for the inner area of Blackpool has now been in place for almost a year, and more than half of the estimated 9,000 homes which fall under the latest scheme have already registered.
Blackpool Council says that of these, 30% meet the higher ‘Blackpool Standard’ for property management, offering better quality homes and tenancy management for residents.
Prosecution
One-in-two landlords qualified for scheme discounts simply by holding EPC ratings of C or higher.
But properties that remain unlicensed now risk prosecution or fines for landlords.
Paula Burdess, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, Street Scene and Neighbourhoods for Blackpool Council, says: “We know that a great many landlords in our town provide a decent standard of housing for residents, as evidenced in the hundreds of homes which meet our high Blackpool Standard.
“But there are still many people living in poor housing. Tenants can ask their landlords if their home has been licensed, and if it meets the higher Blackpool Standard.”
Key priority
“Improving housing for our residents is one of our key priorities as a council. We want selective licensing to not just improve the private rented sector but improve neighbourhoods too,” she added.
“By promoting the delivery of good properties, people will want to stay in their homes and areas for longer, improving communities overall. We’ve seen previous schemes drive down anti-social behaviour in neighbourhoods, showing the real value of these approaches.”
