Reading consults on wider HMO licensing scheme

Reading consults on wider HMO licensing scheme

0:01 AM, 14th June 2024, About 6 months ago 2

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Reading Borough Council is seeking feedback from landlords on a new licensing scheme designed, it claims, to improve the quality of private rented housing for tenants.

The consultation proposes extending the current house in multiple occupation (HMO) licensing scheme to include properties with three or four occupants.

Currently, Reading only licenses HMOs with five or more occupants under the national mandatory scheme but hopes the wider HMO licensing will boost housing conditions.

It says that 1,400 rented properties are licensed under that scheme.

‘We want to hear from tenants and landlords’

The council’s assistant director for planning, transport and public protection, James Crosbie, said: “We want to hear from tenants and landlords about our proposals and whether this will help drive change and provide better homes for our residents.

“We want to ensure that all our private rented sector is safe for tenants.”

He added: “The proposed scheme will help with that aim, as we widen the area of inspection in terms of housing which will go beyond the mandatory scheme.

“We are asking tenants, landlords and any other interested parties for their feedback on the scheme and how it could be implemented.”

Proposes a targeted licensing scheme

The consultation also proposes a targeted licensing scheme for all rented homes in three wards: Battle, Redlands and Park.

The council says these areas have a high number of rental properties thought to have potential health and safety issues.

Under this scheme, all rented properties in these wards would require a license.

The consultation has now begun and if implemented, the scheme would be introduced in phases starting from Spring 2025.


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Paul Essex

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12:47 PM, 14th June 2024, About 6 months ago

So if a couple have a baby your 1 bed flat becomes chargeable then?

Reluctant Landlord

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13:00 PM, 14th June 2024, About 6 months ago

ALL councils are going to go down this route eventually as its all about money in. Nothing more.
The irony is they are all spending more on temp housing costs because their lists are bulging and they have no accommodation. LL's are evicting tenants as they want to exit the PRS or because tenants are not paying rent/trashing properties and no one else will take them on. More migrants have claimed asylum and now they are on the waiting list too...as a result the lists just grow.

All bull about standards - cash cow end of. Feeding the ever spiralling temp housing bill...

Happily housed tenants who are paying, looking after the property etc are just going to be charged higher rent as a result...and the blame for it inevitably thrown back as the direct fault of the LL.

After licencing for 5 bed HMO comes licencing for 3 or more bed and then selective licencing for every property in a certain postcode.

It wont stop. Floodgates are open - government have allowed it, councils will apply it and ultimately the tenants will pay! The same tenants that the government says it want to protect by not allowing 'unjust' rent increases....

Enter stage left - Labour....who want to give more power to local councils which includes rent capping.....

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