0:03 AM, 21st December 2023, About 11 months ago 35
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Shocking new figures reveal Nottingham has the highest rate of homelessness across the county.
Data from Shelter reveals 2,700 people across Nottinghamshire will be homeless this Christmas. This includes around 1,340 children who are stuck in temporary accommodation such as B&Bs.
One landlord says selective licensing is to blame for the high levels of homelessness in Nottingham.
The figures reveal a stark reality in Nottingham, with one in every 162 people left without a place to call home.
One local housing charity in Nottinghamshire says the figures are “no surprise”.
Andrew Redfern the chief Executive of Framework, told the Nottingham Post: “These are shocking figures. Unfortunately, they are no surprise.
“At the sharpest end of homelessness, we are seeing an increase in rough sleeping exacerbated by the Home Office’s asylum decisions which are resulting in people being evicted from their accommodation.
“Meanwhile the Department for Work and Pensions continues its plan to create a hostile environment for supported housing and this will further increase rough sleeping in the New Year.
“Councils have a legal duty to house families and people who are vulnerable but a housing shortage has seen an increased use of B&Bs in areas like Nottingham.”
Earlier this year, Nottingham’s selective licensing scheme was slammed by an external auditor who said the scheme has led to tenants being made homeless.
Leading Nottingham landlord Mick Roberts raised the objection that led to the auditors stepping in and he said: “The auditor’s report hits the target when it says that licensing fees do put rents up and the scheme has seen landlords leave the rental sector.
“That means tenants are being made homeless and the council not having the data on the issue doesn’t disguise the fact that Selective Licensing, which the council claims is to improve properties does, in fact, lead to tenants being made homeless. How many people must become homeless before the council wakes up and sees what’s happening.”
Also, a recent Property118 investigation revealed rents across Nottingham have soared in recent years.
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), rents in Nottingham have rocketed by nearly £200 since the introduction of the selective licensing scheme.
The council introduced the first back in August 2018, when rents in the city were £664. However, rents have been increasing rapidly since the scheme has been implemented.
When approached for comment, Nottingham council did not dispute that rents in the city have gone up after licensing was introduced but, told us that selective licensing is not to blame and the reason is down to recent interest rate hikes.
“The increase in rents that are quoted from the ONS data 2018 to 2023 might have something to do with the huge spike in interest rates in the past couple of years, pushing up mortgage payments for thousands of landlords.”
The council added the scheme is not designed to make a profit.
“Selective licensing is not income-generating – councils are not permitted to make a profit. Licence fees solely cover the costs of setting up, operating, and delivering the scheme in the city.”
Robert M
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Sign Up16:17 PM, 21st December 2023, About 11 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Mick Roberts at 21/12/2023 - 16:12
That's just cruel Mick, you can't dangle that carrot and then expect me to wait until 3rd January to hear the news!!!
Mick Roberts
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Sign Up16:39 PM, 21st December 2023, About 11 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Robert M at 21/12/2023 - 16:17
Ha ha ring me in morning then if u can 9amish. I've got I think 19 Selective Licenses to do, should have been done on 1 Dec but Council Licensing payment page was faulty I've got them to admit in an email.
It's not mega exciting, but stuff that wasn't allowed under HB is allowed under UC regs. And REALLY helps with families struggling as their kids get older in same house.
I'll keep putting this in, as one day, someone may take me up on the offer.
If anyone has more time than me, we could do with doing Freedom of Information FOI requests on all Councils what their homeless bill is for hotels and temporary accommodation.
Since you introduced Selective Licensing.
And also to the Councils that don't have Selective Licensing.
Be nice to see (because there is one) how big the direct correlation is from those Councils with Selective Licensing and those without.
Nottingham's has shot up and they can say there are bigger issues at play here, and there are, but Selective Licensing started it all and massively contributes to it now.
I know Newham was the first to introduce Selective Licensing and their homeless was also the biggest rise afterwards
NewYorkie
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Sign Up16:43 PM, 21st December 2023, About 11 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Cider Drinker at 21/12/2023 - 14:33
10% increase in January. My. Tenant hasn't questioned it [because it's still below the market].
Jim K
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Sign Up18:52 PM, 21st December 2023, About 11 months ago
Mick.
Thanks for posting that.
I read it all.
It's more onerous than current HMO licences particularly on waste.
Not sure what part of a LL responsibility (other than HMO or after T moves out) waste is?
Also we will need to up our record keeping with regard to things like inspectons when this sort of thing is rolled out more widely by RRB.
JB
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Sign Up8:26 AM, 22nd December 2023, About 11 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Mick Roberts at 21/12/2023 - 16:39
I spent hours wasting my time on a faulty application page too! My 1st renewal this year has cost about £1,500 for the license and new dishwasher and combi microwave I was told I had to buy (which will now need PAT testing every year)
That's £300+ per year the rent will need to go up - non of which goes in my pocket.
Trapped Landlord
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Sign Up8:53 AM, 22nd December 2023, About 11 months ago
Reply to the comment left by JB at 22/12/2023 - 08:26Sorry JB , am I reading this right, you had to buy a dishwasher and microwave to renew a license ?
JB
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Sign Up9:11 AM, 22nd December 2023, About 11 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Trapped Landlord at 22/12/2023 - 08:53
Correct. Its a student HMO, I've run very successfully for 15 years. I took the dishwasher out (and the plumbing) when I renewed the kitchen 10 years ago as they preferred to have an extra fridge. The microwave went as most studemts bring their own and they were lined up like buses with no worktop space and it also saved PAT testing it.
Its a nanny state, no choice at all for how I want to run my business or for the tenants who may prefer not to pay for it.
Trapped Landlord
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Sign Up9:15 AM, 22nd December 2023, About 11 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Mick Roberts at 21/12/2023 - 16:12
Sutton in Ashfield are a year into their second scheme, we had some drama a few months ago with one of our tenants , allegedly shop lifting in the area and loud music coming from the house. Somehow this was my fault and all of a sudden I have the council threatening to revoke all 18 of my licenses in that district if there is any more trouble.
Trapped Landlord
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Sign Up9:20 AM, 22nd December 2023, About 11 months ago
Reply to the comment left by JB at 22/12/2023 - 09:11
If it wasn't for the capital gains , I'd be out long gone. God only knows what Labour will come with next year but after listening to Angela Raynors take the other week, she really doesn't understand the first thing, I got the impression she believes landlords have no choice but to stay in the game and no one will walk away.
David100
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Sign Up10:09 AM, 22nd December 2023, About 11 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Trapped Landlord at 22/12/2023 - 09:15
We had a similar problem in our area, some students got drunk and did some damage to cars. Next thing our local MP said (and I quote) "it is the Landlords responsibility to ensure their tenants who are students in the area behave" I wish I was joking. I wrote to her, and told her that with current legislation we couldn't call the police on them EVEN IF THEY WRECKED OUR OWN PROPERTY let alone someone else's.