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Council gives notice of two new licensing schemes later this year

A Midlands council has given notice of two landlord licensing schemes set to be introduced later this year.

Charnwood council has been consulting with landlords, residents, and businesses on the Additional and Selective Licensing schemes since last summer.

Additional Licensing is a borough-wide scheme for any HMO not already holding a mandatory licence. It will require HMO landlords not covered by the mandatory scheme to apply for a licence. The council claims the objective is to ensure all tenants of HMOs will have the same rights.

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Meanwhile, the selective licensing focuses on privately rented accommodation in two wards in Loughborough

The schemes were due to be introduced next month but have been delayed. 

 

 

The selective licensing scheme needs to be approved by Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick and the council says there’s no certainty over when this will be forthcoming.

In last year’s consultation more than 400 residents, landlords and businesses submitted their views on proposed conditions.

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    Look out for the rent rises.

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    Totally agree!

    Glasgow Council brought in compulsory HMO licences around 2005 for all properties let to more than 2 unrelated adults, irrespective of size or number of rooms etc. On each flat I had to spend around £2k on a 3 year licence and around £5k on fitting mains operated interlinked smoke and CO alarms, new fire doors, new locks on external doors etc. I also have ongoing annual costs of around £500 for LGSR, boiler servicing, PAT checks and alarm servicing, around £1000 every 3 years for each renewed HMO licence - plus upgrading to meet any changes in regulations, like 6 easily accessible power points per room, intumescent collars on extraction fans etc.

    However I found I could increase my rents from a bit under £200 per month per bedroom in 2004 to over £250 as soon as the HMO regulations took effect and I had up to 17 groups of four wanting the best located flats. Rents continued to rise steadily to around £375 per room per month in 2017 and since the new loony SNP legislation came into force in December 2017, I can now get £525 per room per month - so £2100 per month for a four bed flat from 2017 onwards that used to get under £800 in 2004!

    Tenants will always have to pay for the policies of those who claim to be looking after them!

    PS. When I was a student in Glasgow in the early 70's there were 8 of us sharing a grotty 4 bedroom flat - but we could easily afford the essentials like 8 pints of beer per night and copious quantities of fish and chips from the local chippy.

    No wonder there's a huge housing shortage when youngsters are banned from doubling up (at least officially!) and thus needing twice as many flats (and paying twice as much rent) compared to earlier generations - who didn't die in their thousands due to house fires, gas explosions, legionella, CO poisoning or electrocution!

     
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    Do not see the point in a consultation as they will be going ahead in any event if only to recoup the costs of the 'consultation'.

    As TU says above watch out for the rent rises.

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