Milton Keynes Landlords Claim Second Victory Over Licensing Proposals

17:31 PM, 12th November 2014, About 10 years ago 21

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Milton Keynes Private Landlords Association (MKPLA) is proud to announce that, during a meeting on 10 November, the Council’s Cabinet voted unanimously NOT to extend licensing of shared housing to smaller properties that are not currently within the scope of mandatory licensing established by the Housing Act 2004.

MKPLA Chairman Alex Caravello said ………

Alex Caravello – Chairman of MKPLA

“It’s great to see that sometimes common sense does prevail!

“With the private rented sector coming under regular attack from certain sectors, isn’t it nice to finally see the reality being demonstrated so positively?

The people of Milton Keynes can finally stand up and say, with conviction and without contradiction, that we have a fantastic private rented sector. The evidence shows that Milton Keynes is one of the best places in the country to live in shared housing and I have no doubt that these are the kinds of positive aspects that contribute to Milton Keynes being ranked the number one location to establish a business.

Hopefully, we’ve now seen the end of landlords in Milton Keynes coming under attack from those with their own agenda, allowing us to get on with the job of running our portfolios professionally and responsibly and to continue to enjoy the good working relationship we have with Milton Keynes Council and Private Sector Housing.

On behalf of MKPLA, I would like to thank our hardworking committee members, as well as all the landlords and supporters who gave up their time to campaign against the damaging proposals to introduce licensing. Together, we made sure that Milton Keynes didn’t fall victim to what has happened in other parts of the country, where landlord licensing has been rushed through – sometimes unlawfully – without due consideration of its unintended consequences, causing huge amounts of damage to local housing markets and economies.

To those who may previously have been advocates of landlord licensing, I hope that this result demonstrates that the true quality of our private rented sector – and especially the professionalism of our landlords – far exceeds many other parts of the country and, rather than it being labelled as a hotspot of crime, anti-social behaviour and sub-standard housing, this actually gives us reason to be proud of our local housing provision.

Article submitted by Alex Caravello – MKPLA Chairman

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Joe Bloggs

12:05 PM, 14th November 2014, About 10 years ago

HI ALEX,
'Your licence may stipulate a maximum number of tenants per room, or per house, but this is ultimately a function of the size of the house and its amenities, i.e. number of bedrooms, kitchens, bathrooms, etc.'
REPLY - NOT REALLY. ITS ALSO ABOUT THE ROOM SIZES. THIS IS THE CONCERN EXPRESSED BY PAUL, I.E. WHEN HE REFERS TO :
- ‘Further he has converted the lounge into two bedrooms.’
- 'Packing six people into a small terraced house'

‘It is not possible for a license to limit, for example, 4 tenants in a 6 double-bedroom house, all ensuite with 2 kitchens.’
REPLY – AGREED BUT THAT IS NOT THE SCENARIO THAT PAUL IS CONCERNED ABOUT. HE IS REFERRING TO INTENSIVE USE.

‘Therefore, the license can only express the rules that already exist in terms of minimum room sizes and amenities.’
REPLY – THE MINIMUM ROOM SIZED REQUIRED BY MY LBN SMALL HMO LICENCES ARE LARGE AND FAR LARGER THAN RQUIRED UNDER OVERCROWDING LEGISLATION.

‘Therefore, the license can only express the rules that already exist in terms of minimum room sizes and amenities.’
REPLY – MAY BE, BUT COUNCILS HAVE ARGUED THAT IT IS EASIER TO ENFORCE OVERCROWDING WITH LICENSING REGIME.

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