Council will use a third-party firm for inspecting rented homes

surely all this is irrelevant if the tenant themselves does not grant access? They have a right to refuse anyone entering (even the property owner and we have all had experience of this probably).

In this case knowing it is not even a council official, if I were the tenant I would flatly refuse myself point blank.

one company tendered and one company chosen - brown envelope/council buddy I suspect???

This will be interesting,
3 inspections over 5 years. What we gonna' do then when we can clearly see the tenant is wrecking something? We now have evidence off the Council's own inspectors that we can now evict when the same Council say We can't take her Mick cause she said she hasn't damaged anything.
And more rent increases to fix the repeating damage by same tenant.
Don't cry when u get what u wished for Peterborough.

Here is one of my tenants this week to Nottingham City Council Selective Licensing Inspection, newest at top:

Hello Mr XX

My colleague, XXX, has passed on your complaint to me as I am duty officer for today. First of all please accept my apologies for any undue worries caused by any actions on our part. That certainly was not our intention and we sincerely apologise for any offense it has caused. I can appreciate that you must be incredibly busy being a single parent and so we do not want to cause any inconvenience to you.

Would it be possible for you to ring me on 07971 XXX please so that I may discuss the matter in person, and hopefully clear up any concerns you may have about the licensing scheme and the inspections we carry out? We appreciate that not everyone is happy with the scheme but I would like the opportunity to answer your questions if possible.

Many thanks and kindest regards,
XX

Regulatory Compliance Officer

Communities | Communities, Environment and Resident Services | Selective Licensing (part of Safer Housing)

+ Nottingham City Council, C/O Loxley House, Station Street, Nottingham, NG2 3NG

*selective.licensing@nottinghamcity.gov.uk

From: XXX
Sent: 21 June 2023 09:30
To: XXX
Cc: Mick Roberts <mick.roberts
Subject: Re: Landlord license
XXX

What do you not understand about you are NOT coming in MY HOME?

You say internal inspection must take place once in 5 year period. Who says? Did I say?

Does my Mum's private house have to be inspected?

I didn't agree to this, nor sign up to it.

I'm adult enough to know if my home has hazards.

Have u thought of asking the tenant ie. me what I want?

How dare you tell me you are coming in my home?

You say this Intended Entry words are in the Housing act and u send me the act. Where does it say these words then cause your copy pasted words don't say the same?

And if you do go find the words, does it say this when no crime or suspicion has been reported? You are manipulating this for your own gain.

I've not committed a criminal offence.

I don't belong to you.

This is now harassment.

Leave me alone.

Do not email me again about this inspection. I give you permission to email me about my complaint.

Do not come to my home.

You lot are disgraceful.

You are totally forgetting there is a very important third party here, the tenant that HAS A CHOICE.

I have asked you to start me complaint. Have you done that?

Sent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message:

From:XXX
Date: 21 June 2023 at 08:09:27 BST
To: XXX
Subject: RE: Landlord license


Good Morning,

Thank you for your email .

Selective Licensing is a scheme that requires most private rented properties to be licensed. It means that houses need to be licensed where they have one or two tenants or a family living there. Selective Licensing requires licence holders to be proactive in managing their properties and the licence holder must comply with a number of licence conditions.

We are making routine inspections in this area to check that Landlord/Managing agent are upholding their licence terms and conditions, and that the property is being well maintained by them.
This internal inspection of the property must take place at least once in the 5 year period of the licence being held.
The inspection is just to check the property is free from hazards, and to check things like fire alarms and carbon monoxide alarms are well maintained and placed in suitable places etc.

I understand your concerns of “the notification of intended entry “ this wording is taken direct from the Housing Act of 2004 under section 239 (please see below) :

(5)Before entering any premises in exercise of the power conferred by subsection (3), the authorised person or proper officer must have given at least 24 hours' notice of his intention to do so—

(a)to the owner of the premises (if known), and

(b)to the occupier (if any).

If there are no issues, the inspection should not take too long at all.

I hope this answers your inquiry and if you need any further help or information please contact me directly.

Kind Regards

Mrs XXX
Licensing Support Officer

Community Protection | Resident Services | Selective Licensing (part of Safer Housing)

C Nottingham City Council, C/O Loxley House, Station Street, Nottingham, NG2 3NG
XXX
kselective.licensing@nottinghamcity.gov.uk

NottmRenters

-----Original Message-----
From: XXX
Sent: 20 June 2023 17:28
To: XXX
Cc: Mick Roberts <mick.roberts
Subject: Landlord license

I write this email in regards to the email my landlord has sent me. He informs me that the council want to have an inspection of my home which could take up to one hour.
This means taking time out of work and being self employed means their is a cost to me from this. Who is going to cover this one hour i have lost? This is a major inconvenience to myself, I find this very annoying due to the fact that I've spent a lot of my own money on getting my home to how I want it. And you wish to inspect? So this landlord tax has already cost me in time and money when my rent went up to cover landlords costs of this unfair tax. I have been with this landlord for 10yrs and never had a single problem with the landlord. ALL repairs are carried out with great care and speed the house is in great condition and does not need a tax nor your inspections, which will increase the rent even More. I am a single dad with three kids and chose to live private rent due to the ease of getting a house and being left alone i value my privacy. With rising rents it’s getting harder for people to get a house and putting pressure on councils and housing aid.

I can see reasons why the council feel the need to look more closely at private landlords but slapping a tax on them all is not the way forward with it, majority of landlords are honest and do there bit. There must be a better way to check on these landlords to make sure their houses are up to standard which will not amount to people's 'rents going up.

Also, who do you think you are? Intended Entry you say? You sound like you are the Police and I've committed a criminal offence.
Don't you think you should be asking and NOT TELLING?

I never signed up to Selective Licensing.

Please start me a complaint about the way you word these letters. I'm at work on that day and you have made my 3 kids ill with worry. They think we've done something wrong and you are now forcing entry.

Do you not think you should be wording your letters like:
Do you mind if we come to inspect your house if you are having any problems with your Landlord?

You say
Please find attached notification that the above property will be inspected by an officer of this department at the time and date stated in the letter.
Oh no it won't, you aren't coming in my home. How dare you treat us tenants like that. You wouldn't do that with a private home owner.

And stop sending me letters too. I don't want anything to do with you.

Reply to the comment left by DSR at 22/06/2023 - 12:29
Well said DSR,

I've just said the same.

iHowz are lobbing to get all licencing schemes to follow the Southampton model, where landlords can choose an independent surveyor or the council can inspect. It is notable that the costs of their scheme are significantly lower.
https://www.southampton.gov.uk/housing/landlords/houses-multiple-occupation/licence-fees/

Ideally, many of the licencing requirements can be covered using the property portal, but don't hold your breath.

Reply to the comment left by Rod at 22/06/2023 - 12:52
Great info as usual Rod.

Reply to the comment left by Mick Roberts at 22/06/2023 - 12:36
hahahah - nice one Mr Tenant!

Tell the council exactly how it is. The actual action of getting into a property is exactly what any twonk who is instigating SL has failed to take any account of at all. The tenant.

I have discretely mentioned in my chats with my tenants (in areas which SL is now coming in) that they do not have to let anyone in unless they want to.

I assume Mick that Notts SL means they contact you to gain access in the first instance and not the tenant directly? I have still to apply for the Bham SL (still getting all the details together to find out exactly what it means etc) but from what I can see so far they dont ask for tenant specific details so any request for access has to go through the licence holder first?

Thanks Mick.

You're doing a great job too with your tenants.

No chance of local authorities apologising when they realise how much damage this unfocussed approach causes, unlike Sheffield following their great lumberjack project which saw all those trees felled.

Reply to the comment left by DSR at 22/06/2023 - 13:16
Exactly DSR,

Me & my big Landlord Mate Pete sat down about 4+ years ago with new head of compliance for Licensing (I'd know him through the Council in other roles for 20+ years-good man) & we jostled backwards & forwards with him saying we going in if we want & we said u CANNOT if no crime has been committed & tenant don't want u in & finally he said Oh I see, u mean if the tenant doesn't want us in? Bingo. Lot of em have come from the older HIMO's where tenants wanted Inspectors in. And think all Landlords are bad.
My very first conversation with Head of Licensing over 5 years ago He said What u get on with all your tenants? I can't believe it & he laughed. They genuinely did think all tenants hated Landlords. They got a shock with me & many others.

When some of my tenants aren't fussed either way, I say u know how u paying £200pm less than anyone else, well if they come in & they say U must have this & that 2023 New build standard, well I can do that, but only on a 2023 rent. Not blackmail but the truth. And my houses are good as are many. But we all know, getting to EPC C-A is gonna' cost.

Well DSR, Licensing emailed me directly with this:

Selective Licensing – Notification of intended entry – XXXX
Dear Sir/Madam

Housing Act 2004, Part 3 Selective Licensing - Notification of intended entry

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ATTACHED – DO NOT IGNORE

This email is in relation to the property known as:

XXX

Please find attached notification that the above property will be inspected by an officer of this department at the time and date stated in the letter.

You are not required to attend the inspection however if you wish to attend the visit with us, you must give your tenants 24 hours’ notice in writing. Please note the inspection might take 30 to 60 minutes.

If you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact the office directly.

And then DSR with an attached letter:

14 June 2023
Housing Act 2004 Section 239
Selective Licensing
Notification of intended entry to property
XXXX
I write to inform you that we intend to visit the property known as XXX on 28 June 2023.
As you are either the licence holder, manager or owner of the property, this letter is to give you prior notification of our visit. The purpose of the visit is to check that the licence conditions are being complied with.
We’ll also assess the housing conditions at the property, in accordance with the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS). If hazards are identified the Council may be under a duty or have the power to serve an enforcement notice under Part 1 of the Housing Act 2004. If we do, we’re entitled to demand expenses from you; this is currently £350. You can find a landlord’s guide to HHSRS here by entering this URL into your web browser: goo.gl/mVmbxb
If you wish to attend the visit with us, you must give your tenants 24 hours’ notice in writing.
Should you wish to discuss, please do not hesitate in contacting me directly.
Yours faithfully

At that time DSR, I didn't know until tenant told me, that they also write tenant a letter.

I've had brief words with some head of Birmingham Licensing & she does not seem happy bunny when Landlords & tenants find fault with Licensing & she genuinely believes all houses & Landlords are gonna' be bad & the Council is the savior.

The only problen with the tenant not allowing access for inspection is the council will simply not give/renew a licence for the property, waht happens then ?