Brighton and Hove Council has given the go-ahead for new selective landlord licensing to be introduced across 12 wards in the city.

Landlords operating in Brunswick and Adelaide, Central Hove, East Brighton, Hanover & Elm Grove, Hollingdean & Stanmer, Queens Park, Moulsecoomb & Bevendean, Preston Park, Regency, South Portslade, St Peters & North Laine and Westbourne, will have to pass a ‘fit and proper’ test before being granted a licence, once the new regulations are introduced on 4 February 2019.

A three-year license will cost a landlord £460, while those accredited by the National Landlords Association (NLA) will be charged the reduced rate of £410.

Landlords will also have to take responsibility for the safety of their tenants by keeping their rental homes up to the appropriate standard and reacting to anti-social behaviour.

City councillor Tracey Hill, who worked on the scheme, which is expected to affect about 27,000 properties, said: “It’s great that our application to introduce this scheme has been successful.

“This will allow us to raise standards in more privately rented homes in the city and help us make sure that tenants in the sector can live in safe, healthy and well-managed homes.”