It’s emerged that Housing Secretary approved yet another vast landlord licensing system just days before Christmas.

On December Gove gave approval to London’s Redbridge council for a selective licensing system applying to another 15 wards in the borough.

This means all landlords or agents of most private rented properties in affected wards must apply for a selective property licence.

The scheme will commence on April 8 and the requirement to apply for a licence will begin on April 8 and will cease to have effect on April 7 2029,.

The introduction of this new scheme comes after a  consultation: overall and it was found that there are – in the council’s words – “significant issues including poor housing conditions and anti-social behaviour persisting within private rented properties in the borough, which this licensing scheme aims to address.”