Selective Licensing scheme
-
Latest property news
Nottingham prepares to introduce £600 landlord and agent licensing scheme
The City of Nottingham has begun its consultation on a draconian mandatory landlord and agent licensing system across the city’s private rented sector. First approved in November last year, the scheme is likely to begin in September 2018, assuming approval is gained from the Secretary of State. With a few exceptions, anyone controlling a property – landlord or agent – will have to apply for a £600 licence fee for each property they own or manage, which will be renewable every five years. It’s not the most expensive in the UK, though – Exeter charges £800 with a 15% discount for multiple properties, for example. The council is also proposing to charge an additional £100 a year for those not applying online, £50 for a missed inspection, £150 for a re-inspection, £350 if a landlord or agent is given a caution and further £350 if enforcement action is required. Landlords or agents who are accredited with either of two local schemes will pay a reduced annual fee of £460 instead of £600. The City of Nottingham says the scheme is being introduced because it is concerned about poor standards within the city’s private rented sector following 4,500 complaints by tenants…
Read More » -
Latest property news
Government makes it harder to license landlords
Reforms to the Selective Licensing scheme, announced last week by Brandon Lewis (left), the Minister of State for Housing and Planning, will further restrict local decision making powers making it harder for councils to license landlords. Since 2010, local councils have had the power to licence landlords across an entire borough or jurisdiction in order to combat issues such as anti-social behaviour in so-called ‘hotspot areas’. However, the changes, which come into force on 1 April 2015, will mean that councils will require Government approval before implementing a licensing scheme if they plan to license a large area or proportion of the market – likely to be above 20 per cent of either the geographical area covered by the council or the local private rented sector (PRS). The decision appears to have been influenced by sustained lobbying efforts by various organisations, including the National Landlord Association (NLA), which published its report on the state of landlord licensing across the country in February. The report points to a boom in the number of blanket licensing schemes since 2010 but highlights a lack of enforcement actions being taken by local councils. It also shows a correlation between the political control of a…
Read More »
