0:01 AM, 3rd August 2023, About A year ago
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Landlords in one city are being warned they have less than a month to apply for a licence under a council’s selective licensing scheme before facing a significant increase in the application fee.
Currently, landlords are charged £480 for a five-year licence, but from 1 September that will rocket to £1,100.
That is unless a property is newly rented within 12 weeks of the application, in which case the fee will be £530.
The warning comes from Oxford City Council which introduced its selective licensing scheme in September 2022 – but it is now mandatory for ALL private lets in the city to have a licence.
However, only 14% of landlords who have applied have received their license.
The council’s cabinet member for housing, Cllr Linda Smith, said: “If you’re a private landlord or agent who hasn’t applied for a licence yet then you need to get a move on.
“Application fees increase from £480 to £1,100 on 1 September and you’re already at risk of enforcement action if your properties are unlicensed.”
She added: “We’ve already had nearly 10,500 licence applications and that’s great news for tenants and the majority of responsible landlords and agents.
“Everyone should have a decent home and tenants deserve the confidence of knowing that theirs is safe, in good condition and well managed.”
Oxford’s selective licensing scheme extends to all privately rented homes, whereas previously only houses in multiple occupation required a licence – less than 15% of private rental properties.
The council says it has issued 1,466 licences and 2,661 draft licences.
However, unlicensed landlords and agents now face the risk of enforcement action, including financial penalties of up to £30,000, and the courts can impose unlimited fines for unlicensed homes.
The council also warns that tenants living in unlicensed homes can apply for a rent repayment order (RRO) through the First Tier Tribunal to claim up to a year’s rent from the landlord.
Meanwhile, North Lincolnshire Council is the latest authority to unveil plans for selective licensing to ‘tackle rogue landlords’.
It wants to target problem areas in Scunthorpe with anti-social behaviour, unsafe housing conditions and public health concerns.
The proposed scheme, if given the green light, would mean all landlords with properties in Crosby, Town and Park wards, along with selected streets in the Frodingham ward, would need a licence.
The council’s cabinet member for adults, health, families and communities, Cllr Richard Hannigan, said: “The council tries to work with landlords to ensure they provide decent homes and that their tenants are not causing problems in their communities.
“But in some parts of North Lincolnshire this approach is not working with a few rogue landlords who are not working in the interests of their tenants and the communities they live in.”
