x
By using this website, you agree to our use of cookies to enhance your experience.
Graham Awards

TODAY'S OTHER NEWS

Controversial city-wide licensing - landlords told to sign up now

With a month to go until a new licensing scheme for private rented homes starts, Oxford council is urging landlords to sign up. 

The government-approved selective licensing scheme means that all private rented homes in Oxford will need a licence from this September.

Some 49.3 per cent of all Oxford’s homes are now privately rented. And Oxford council claims that an independent review of housing conditions in 2020 found that a fifth of the 30,500 homes in Oxford’s private rented sector could have a serious housing hazard.

Advertisement

Currently only HMOs require a licence to operate, though these make up less than 15 per cent of private rented homes in Oxford. The recent government go-ahead for selective licensing means that all private rented homes will need a licence, and landlords will as usual be expected to show they are complying with safety and management standards, being a ‘fit and proper person’ and meeting council waste storage and disposal requirements.

The selective licensing scheme will run for five years and starts on September 1.

A new statement from Labour-controlled Oxford council says landlords can register interest in the scheme online, with the council then contacting them pro-actively when the scheme begins operating.

A five year licence costs £480 with a discounted rate of £400 for landlords who make a complete application by November 30. There is also a discounted fee of £280 for accredited landlords.

In recent months the National Residential Landlords Association has spoken out against the Oxford scheme and its rationale.

The NRLA says: “All our research shows there is no clear link between licensing schemes and improved enforcement against criminal and rogue landlords. Too often such schemes penalise responsible landlords who will come forward to be identified, whilst failing to find those operating under the radar.

“Oxford, like all other councils, should focus instead on better using the wide array of data already available to identify landlords and take action against those bringing the sector into disrepute. This includes council tax and housing benefit data along with information held by the Land Registry.”

Want to comment on this story? If so...if any post is considered to victimise, harass, degrade or intimidate an individual or group of individuals on any basis, then the post may be deleted and the individual immediately banned from posting in future.

  • icon

    How can Oxford do it for £280 whereas Nottingham want to charge about £700 for accredited LLs. Could it be that Nottingham have a bigger black hole to fill in their finances?

  • icon

    More state sponsored theft 👮🏻‍♀️ And the tenants are confused why we are selling up 😂😂

  • icon

    Hang on a minute I am not Accredited but had been for years in the past with 2 different Organisations you have to keep jumping through hoops for the latest thing they dreamt up, keep updating brownie points on line to stay Accredited, so that’s me not Accredited because I’m not capable of adding the points on line so that’s me not Accredited but I can build a house single handed and every aspect of it which I know is far less
    important, don’t get taken in with discount that’s only a one off to rope you in, you don’t get it on your future Applications.or renewals.

  • icon

    Selective licensing in Oxford £280. Less than half price of other Boroughs. It cannot not be Selective and be all at the same time. The idea of Selective meant it could only be Selective parts of a Borough or Ward, usually not more than 30%.

  • icon

    I am evicting my HB tenant from a property in Oxford as it won't meet the space requirments on one of the bedrooms (6.4 rather than 6.52). I'll then probably sell it back to the council who can then put another tenant in with the same (or bigger) family with no room size requirement.

icon

Please login to comment

MovePal MovePal MovePal
sign up