Landlords Alert - record month for new licensing starts soon

And how long will it be before these self same Councils are begging for Landlords to buy and let them properties? See the article on Devon council.....
The increase costs inevitably reduce supply and force up rents and do nothing to improve housing standards as these self same councils then carry out next to no inspections while at the same time their own social housing remains in poor repair...

• Nick Duncan
• 10 March 2022 08:04 AM

You are totally right, nothing but a money spinner. In 6 years, none of my properties have been inspected, especially the HMO’s where I have spent considerable amounts of money. In 2918 a freedom of information act disclosed that my council had prosecuted just 1 Landlord.

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• Simon Lucas
• 10 March 2022 12:08 PM

It took over 7 years for Newham Council, to inspect my house. Two minutes of the time of a council numpty with a clipboard and check list for a total of £1,000 in license fees. Bargain !! Except that it was another move by the extortion racketeers, sorry council, to extract the last drop of blood from landlords before central government bankrupts them all.

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Just a tax on landlords which is passed onto tenants

I too see all these as simply a way to increase the funds for the local authority, nothing more but plain and simple theft with a veil of '' admin '' to justify the crazy amounts they charge, as usual if it comes into my area my tenants will pay for it, i will not...... but as said above all this is doing is slowly but surely chipping away at all LL's and pushing more into the '' sell '' camp.

Licensing may improve conditions for some tenants - although there is already existing legislation that could do they same - what it does do for EVERYONE is push rents up.

For goodness sake stop on about inspections, obviously you haven’t been touched yet.
When they come you’ll know all about it they’ll give you a list as long as to arm not withstanding how good you thought it was.
Things they came up with for me, are the kitchen cupboards fire proofed they are made of wood she said & specified special treatment, the loft hatch door must be fire door but no one or nothing up there, it won’t be the way you think I was required to buy full fire door cut it down to size & lip all around this was in writing for me to do. Better sheet it with PB before to come and forget about access. The locks on every door has to be unlock-able without key from inside but sure you know all that, even silly things like I had notice board in living room she said that’s no good re-site it in entrance hall etc. only the tip.

Actually I also think this is a scheme to clear out a significant chunk of landlords, and create optimum conditions for the corporate players who are now building new blocks to rent in the thousands. Not many renters would be keen to rent off the big banks or other similar companies, but if traditional landlords have been elbowed out - there won’t be much else to choose from.

Activists will be happy to see all these licensing schemes and increased costs for landlords. They don’t seem to realise or care, that all of this is reducing choice and options while putting up prices with no noticeable improvement in standards.

Michael - we too have experienced inspections very similar. One order being to put a fire door on the ‘empty’ hall closet!!

Clueless Clipboard Carrying Clots Causing Chaos

Michael and Frances you are so right. Then when they come back to re-inspect what they've asked you to do if it is another inspector they contradict the first and ask you to do or un do what the previous inspector has either asked you to do or did not ask you to do. With many HMOs resulting in so many inspections I could write a book on the contradictions. The license fee is only the tip of the iceberg the cost the inspections usually result in far far more cost to do pointless things that neither the tenant or the landlord wants and is not justified on any risk cost basis .

For years no Inspector needed electric consumer units boxed in a fireproof box then I get a hysterical lecture about how I am putting my tenants at risk by not having consumer units fitted in firebox proof boxes. When I complained that no one has ever died due to a consumer unit catching fire and the variation in approach between councils all that happens is on every inspection the inspector made a beeline to the consumer unit. You Cannot win!

Jim Haliburton
The HMO Daddy

Greedy Bristol council charge the highest amount that I know for the licensing scheme at £1500.
My tenants did not like it when I up their rent to cover this

Do like a Darley Dale Co did in the days of Sunday closing laws. rent the applicant an outside chair (for same a month's rent )and give then a house to stay in free for a momth

Hi guys,
This proves the significant no. of unemployable who are taken on as employees in Councils! So what is new, because the CEOs sit on a gold mine of a sizeable six figure salary and expenses

Some years back the Council made us put sinks in every bedroom, despite the HMO having one bathroom, one shower room (both with sinks and toilets)! Despite the tenants not wanting them installed, guess what some of the male tenants used the sinks in their rooms for?