Help and advice on selective licensing?

Reply to the comment left by Judith Wordsworth at 15/06/2023 - 09:30
"Money raised from the licence fee can only be used to administer and run the scheme."

Which includes plush offices, gold plated pensions, non-jobs for the boys, career advancement, generous holiday leave etc.
-all paid for by landlords/tenants.
No wonder councils love licensing.

One glaring issue I find concerning, using Haringey in London as an example, is the selective licensing policy exclusively targeting the poorer areas of the borough, while affluent neighborhoods like Hornsey, Muswell Hill, and Crouch End are exempt. This policy appears to be unfairly burdening the less privileged members of the community and raises serious questions about potential discrimination.
A thorough evaluation of the selective licensing policy should be conducted, examining its implementation's rationale and its potential impact on different areas within the borough. By gaining a comprehensive understanding of the decision-making process, we can determine whether the exemptions granted to wealthier neighborhoods are justified or if they perpetuate discrimination.
Expressing our apprehensions and seeking transparent explanations regarding the criteria used to determine which areas are included or exempted from the policy is crucial. Through these discussions, we can promote transparency and ensure that decisions are made with fairness, equality, and the elimination of discrimination in mind.
Furthermore, it is necessary to advocate for a comprehensive review of the selective licensing policy, with specific attention given to the exemption of affluent areas. This review should aim to identify any biases, rectify the unfair burden placed on disadvantaged communities, and ensure that the policy encompasses the entire borough to address housing issues effectively.

Margaret
You need to apply for the licence and promptly. Whatever the view on whether councils are making money out of the scheme, that is irrelevant. You will get into serious trouble if you do not get a licence.

Reply to the comment left by Landlord at 15/06/2023 - 12:22The clue is in the name. The local authority has to select areas where there is justification for introducing licensing. Essentially they have to show that there is a significant proportion of poor quality housing and/or anti social behaviour.
It is self-evident that these conditions are less likely to exist in affluent areas and far from discriminating against poorer tenants the stated objective is to improve conditions for them.

Reply to the comment left by Seething Landlord at 15/06/2023 - 14:23I suspect (if my area is anything to go by) its only 'selective' in as much as the excluded areas will be selected at a later date. Our licenses are valid for four years. Introducing new areas periodically means for a rolling program of income for the council and not having to process all the applications all in one go. The suggestion that only areas which have anti-social behavior issues is a smokescreen. What I'd really like to know - I've asked and never been told- is HOW does the process assist in any way those in the selected areas? Apart from possibly putting the rent up as the landlord recoups as much as possible via the tennant?

It's a way of conning money out of you. But as Ian says the consequences are very severe. Bite the bullet and apply.

The UK .gov spending is just over 50% of GDP. This is the evidence that we live in a covertly socialist country.

Margaret, the system is very unfair but you must comply. As others have said, the penalties are very high, and not having the licence is so easy for the council to prosecute. There is no way out of it. You are about to embark on a journey involving lots of paperwork and you may well have to do some works if your council has additional requirements over and above national requirements, such as secure gardens, provision of bins, internal fire doors.
The best advise is to keep your head below the parapet, as they only inspect a small amount of homes and you can guarantee that they will find something of fault. In Nottingham they will fail a property if the double glazing has water vapour between the panes.
Pay the fee, put the rent up to cover it, inform your tenant of the reason for this increase, and remind them that they are not obliged to let the council into their home to inspect it if they don't want to.

Agree that you must apply. My council inspects ALL properties so don't assume that your property may escape inspection. I found the process of applying on-line cumbersome and time consuming (and, of course, expensive!). After I had submitted by application I found a local agent who was very helpful and had managed to get a 'feel' for what the council was looking for as he had many landlords applying for licences. My exisitng agents (who were not local) were useless and clueless so I changed agents. Your council may have workshop you can attend althought the one I attended wasn't particuarly useful in terms of providing advice. I have also discovered that different inspectors have different requirements which is grossly unfair and possibly discrimminatory. Good luck!