New selective licensing schemes are now live in areas of north and east Manchester covering more than 1,400 properties.
This means compulsory licences apply to all private rented properties in areas experiencing one or more of the following: significant and persistent problem caused by anti-social behaviour, poor property conditions, high levels of migration, high levels of deprivation, high levels of crime, low housing demand – or is likely to become such an area.
The four parts of Manchester hit with the new system are The Ladders, Hyde Road, Trinity and the Ben Street area.
There are already four schemes in operation in the city, which have licensed 1,681 homes:
All residents in properties that now require a licence under the latest council action will receive a letter explaining that licensing is now in operation and that their landlord will be required to apply.
The new regime follows two periods of consultation in the neighbourhoods; results show 85 per cent of those residents who responded agreed with the licensing, plus 92 per cent agreeing that private rented properties should be inspected by the council.
The council says that in areas already licensed, some 1,871 licenses have been issued and 554 properties have been inspected during the licensable periods.
These inspections have led to 51 enforcement letters (improvement notices) sent to landlords asking them to address issues in their properties.
Some 18 fines totalling £108,000 have been handed out to landlords and property owners that have failed to comply with the terms of selective licensing.
And 12 suspended prohibition orders - which could close a property if standards don’t improve - have been issued, most due to overcrowding.
A Manchester council spokesperson says: "While we know that the majority of landlords in the city are good and take their responsibility to their tenants seriously, there are a minority that seem content to rent out substandard or dangerous properties. There is no place for rogue landlords in Manchester.
“This is where selective licensing comes in – and these schemes provide a way for the council to work with property owners, landlords and agents to ensure that their homes are up to scratch, while also tackling neighbourhood issues, such as waste problems.
“What is clear from areas of the city that have had selective licensing for a few years is that these schemes do improve standards in private sector homes – and tenants are seeing the real-life benefits.
“The enforcement work carried out by council officers mean that residents in private sector homes in these areas can sleep soundly knowing that their homes have been made safe as a direct result of selective licensing. We want to do all we can to ensure that all our residents can live in safe, secure, sustainable and affordable homes.”
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This is becoming widespread. So, we'll have to pay to be on the national register, pay to be on the local register and pay an agent because the previous two will be tenant-focused. Why can't these schemes be funded by fines levied to the bad eggs?
The Council at Gt Yarmouth imposed Licensing for the same reasons despite every landlord opposing it. It led to rents in that area increasing to cover the cost of the licence. Three years down the line, no prosecutions no rogue landlords found and the only bad properties featured in the local press have been owned by the Council. Its a pointless exercise , there is sufficient legislation already to deal with poor landlords.
According to what I read before on NRLA there was 152 pieces of legislation governing private rented sector but Mrs Google’s say over 200, how can any LL be expected to cope with that amount of bull sugar.
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