A new licensing scheme for landlords in one of the country’s most controversial cities is likely to be approved next week.
Nottingham council is seeking comments on proposals to introduce a new five-year Additional HMO Licensing Scheme for houses in multiple occupation. The current scheme will soon come to an end and the council is now looking to consult on a new citywide scheme, which would run for a further five years from January 2024 if approved.
Additional Licensing is a scheme that applies to privately rented HMOs and requires landlords to have a licence for rented properties where either three or four people, who are not related, live together and share facilities like bathrooms and kitchens.
A statement from the council claims the scheme aims to “help support landlords to make sure their properties meet appropriate standards for tenants; protect the health, safety and wellbeing of tenants and communities by ensuring safe, well-managed properties; help inform tenants of what to expect from their landlord and what is expected of them as a tenant, through better communication and management of properties; and p rovide increased powers to inspect properties which otherwise would not be inspected unless a complaint had been received.”
The council goes on to claims that the current Additional HMO Licensing Scheme has had “a positive impact on problems associated with HMOs since its introduction in 2019, such as inadequate gas, electrical and fire safety, overcrowding and insufficient facilities, poor internal and external property conditions as well as anti-social behaviour like noise nuisance and insufficient waste management.”
Councillor Toby Neal, the councillor who chairs the housing committee, says: “This housing licensing scheme, along with others, is a major part of our plans to improve all types of private rented housing in the city.
“We believe people renting privately have a right to expect a decent standard of accommodation, which is safe, well managed and maintained. Poor housing conditions and poor property management can have a serious impact on people’s health and wellbeing, as well causing problems for local neighbourhoods that see higher crime and anti-social behaviour rates.
“The council believes the introduction of a new licensing scheme would not only bring benefits for tenants and local communities, but also landlords who, by obtaining a licence, will be able to clearly demonstrate to prospective tenants that they meet required standards.”
The formal consultation is likely to begin on March 1.
Last month Nottingham council started consulting on a second scheme of Selective Licensing and would require private landlords who let properties in certain parts of the city to obtain a licence, demonstrating that they and their properties meet required standards.
Controversially, the council told landlords not to raise rents to cover the cost of the licences.
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Communists. Straight out of the Marxist cook book.
oh please, its just a way of fleecing LLs further!
And tenants
“ We believe people renting privately have a right to expect a decent standard of accommodation”
So their solution, coincidentally, involves them demanding extortionate amounts of money with no real oversight as to how that money is spent. Additionally they are causing the increased rents for the very people they claim to be looking after. Of course, they don’t care squat about that as long as they get their money.
Nottingham to Consult when did any Council ever have an Industry Consultation.
Their Consultation is for general Public most of whom are not involved in lettings to always get the majority answer they want it’s not a Consultation it’s a farce.
All the improvements could be done a lot better without the money grab taking the money that should be used for improvements.
Good luck with the Pre-cast City.
I just don’t understand how these councils can have the autonomy to introduce addition red tape for landlords like this if it isn’t a national requirement. It is very wrong!
AG, they probably haven't.
We joined the EU without a vote or approval from the electorate, apparently it was a trade deal, ie the common market. Similarly restricted area for cars and control on movements or net zero all smuggled in as being green.
NCC is broke - they lost millions on Robin Hood Energy, have failed to support Ukrainian refugees with anything except the bare minimum (although they have manage to create 4 posts costing £250k to run the scheme!) & narrowly missed having Govt commissioners in to run it. It spend tax payers money like water & achieves very little in return.
5 years ago we told them SL would put rents up & it did; it will put rents up again this year. At nearly £900 per property it is fleecing tenants & LLs to pay for its housing dept budget. It achieved very little last time & will achieve very little this time.
NCC seems to be a self perpetuating organisation where its funding pays it employment bill but achieves very little output. And the Govt allows it too!
What else could be expected from NCC (and London) with communist policies led Labour leader, (mayor-in London) and Chair of Housing Committee.
Next stop - Labour leaders is planning Compulsory Purchase Orders to acquire PRS HMO’s and private rented homes to be used for Social housing if they win the next general elections.
PRS is doomed under Labour or Lib Dem’s giving Councils more powers to decimate it & take landlords livelihood away.
Conservatives have already empowered councils under the pressure, Labour will simply make it worse.
Best to vote in local and general elections for a party which looks after Great Britain’s people’s interests -putting BritainFirst.
£900???? I thought i was being fleeced at £550 and £1100 for HMO’s.
Typical public sector parasites , contributing nothing but red tape
How is a Nottingham City Council licence twice the cost of a licence issued by other councils in Nottinghamshire????
I have 8 properties on Montpelier Road in Dunkirk, all meet or exceed every requirement for licencing - none have ever been inspected since licencing started - the road has little crime & as far as I am aware no social behavior problems. So can anybody explain to me why Nottingham City Council insist that I have to have a licence, how do they explain the cost of the licence as all they do is a paper administration exercise to issue the licences - be very interesting reading to see a cost breakdown that reached £1200 per property?????
I explain to my tenants that Government policies & Nottingham City Council policies are prominent causes of their rent increases & also give me less money to spend on improving the properties.
I think Nottingham City Councils financial incompetence is widely accepted now - why on earth would the housing minister not be closely examining the finances & organisation of the proposed scheme??? Ah - I know, of course - its Government policy is to attack private landlords!!!!
Very well said. I have one property in Nottingham. Never seen or heard a thing since I paid all that money for them to protect my poor tenants who have a little palace! Put my rent up from 595 to 775 last year and it will go up more in the spring. I don't care anymore, my family will always come first and I refuse to feel any guilt because it is totally out of my hands. Consultation!!! Beyond a joke! I hate what has become of my home town under these idiots....who I used to vote for. !!!!
We have this in Gt Yarmouth and unbelievably the nrla supports it! All the rents increased to cover the licensing fee, the area concerned is still high crime area and its made no difference whatsoever. Just another income for a failed Council. And of course they ignored the consultation.
I'm a Norfolk boy and Gt Yarmouth is dreadful for crime and general anti social behaviour , mind you Kings Lynn and Thetford (the 60s London over spill town) aren't too clever either, rest of Norfolk is quite nice and low crime though
It’s amazing why they want you licensed several times, it doesn’t stop when you do it & comply. Don’t kid yourself 5 years is not a long time in property terms. I got licensed when it was first introduced in 2006, 2011, 2016, 2021 Mandatory Application fee has gone from £598. in 2006 escalating to approx £1500. + depending how much they decide to take off of you, it’s not a fixed amount, you might get a discount of £75.if you are Accredited but only once, now I understand its linked to your
EPC in some Borough’s the worse it is the more you pay its great fun. Accreditations is another scam and keeps expiring, I don’t the Courses paid the fees wasted my days to Comply. I was a Accredited with two Schemes more than once but now they have expired because I have to keep adding up loading brownie points that I am not capable of or minded to do, so they don’t want landlords anymore just Office Academics like themselves, they would be capable of doing anything with a house it all bureaucracy and pure bull sugar, computers the root cause of all without which they would all be redundant, how did we manage before.
Were some of you complaining you might now need a license spare a thought if its only your first, we have been suffering for years.
Is it ONLY Labour controlled councils introducing property licensing?
Funnily, I did my 6 month inspection today of one of my properties. I do this because NCC say I must. I have tenants who have been in for 6 years & do not need checking up on & who happily report any problems to me. I would go in once a year with the gas guy if I had a choice as that is enough. However because of SL I disturbed their Saturday & took a chunk out of mine, to make sure my property is 'decent' - in effect marking my own homework. Incidentally NCC have not been in once in 5 years.
SL in Nottingham is a thinly disguised money making program with no discernible output.
The agents that look after most of my properties used to do inspections every 3 months and charge me 30 pounds a time, we have a new arrangement now where they ask me first as very often I've been round the property to carry out a repair myself, also longer term tenants that can be trusted don't need those all those inspections
My agent carries out inspections every 6 months complete with a report including photos for no extra charge. This is for long term tenants who look after the properties.
Its my understanding that we are required to do regular inspections as a condition of the licensing schemes. Yes usually some maintenance issues during the year or even some rubbish staring to accumulate even this morning I visited to remove the Xmas tree that had been knocking around out for collecting and back in again a number of times and sweep up any leaves etc.
We have the annual Boiler Service and Certification we can’t have one without other and check monoxide detector at least definitely or any other breakdown.
We have the annual fire system Check and Certificate, the annual Emergency light Certificates that I know to my
cost, all those require visits, the 5 year Electrical installation check keeping cropping up. apart for this if you let furnished and supply equipment you may need appliance’s check annually if not permanently wired-in, ((then 5 year ok) there is other factors to but it’s Sunday.
Nick my friend HMO licensing Application fees in one Borough wide schemes. Selective £750.-Additional £1100. & Mandatory £1500. + the right given to this London Labour Borough by Conservatives housing Secretary Mr Michael Gove thank you hip… who complains about high Rent.
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