An industry supplier is analysing licensing schemes and whether they achieve anything to improve rental housing standards.

Yuno says questions need to be asked about licensing schemes which overlap with proposals in the Renters Reform Bill – are they duplicating their purpose and cost, for example.

Company chief executive Paul Conway says: “Our findings reveal that 25% of local authorities in England, and 36% of local authorities in Wales, are enforcing Additional HMO and/or Selective Licensing schemes. These schemes are far from evenly distributed across regions, prompting the question as to why some regions have a significantly higher proportion of councils enforcing them.”

Yuno will be holding a roundtable to determine the effectiveness of expensive licensing schemes in raising housing standards and is offering the opportunity for landlords to join in. 

Conway continues: “Our data analysis shows a lack of such schemes in regions with a relatively higher proportion of non-decent homes, and a higher proportion of such schemes in regions with some of the lowest proportions of non-decent homes.

“This begs the question as to the role of licensing in causing housing standards to improve. For example, is the relatively high housing standards in London due to a higher proportion of discretionary licensing schemes or because it has a substantial premium homes market?”

Further scrutiny reveals discrepancies in licensing fees among London councils, with some councils charging up to 200% more for identical licenses. 

Conway claims that some councils charge more for Selective or Additional HMO Licenses than others do even for Mandatory HMO Licenses and he says this lack of uniformity poses questions as to cost-effectiveness and justifications for wide-ranging fees.

To apply to join the roundtable, or input, details can be found here (https://forms.gle/tdiYELaF2cPZmbZZ6)