A council has confessed that it’s issued only three financial penalties since introducing selective licensing in 2015.

And of these three, one has not been paid by the alleged culprit, and another is being paid in instalments. 

The three penalties were issued in 2019 and since then Rotherham council has admitted it find them hard to enforce. 

The Rotherham Advertiser reports that the council says it has “successfully prosecuted” 49 individuals in the 11 year existence of licensing.

However, in one three year period some 100 people were arrested in relation to cannabis growing.

Last year the council agreed to renew its selective landlord licensing scheme, with landlords expected to pay £975 per property – or more for late applicants.

A council report on the renewal found that only around one in five respondents to the public consultation supported the proposal. 

You can read the full local media report here: https://www.rotherhamadvertiser.co.uk/news/people/49-prosecutions-but-few-financial-penalties-issued-under-rotherham-landlord-licensing-scheme-5469176

Last week it was revealed that Bradford council had since 2018 issued over £2m worth of civil penalties to landlords – but only £400,000 of that money has been collected.