• Login
  • Join
  • Access Problems
  • Status
GRL Landlord Association
  • Coronavirus
  • Home
  • Pricing
  • Subscribers
  • Services/Discounts
  • Forms
  • Recent
  • Contact
  • Find Answers
    • England Guidance
    • Wales Guidance
    • Housing Changes Timeline (E/W)
    • Admin/Tech Support
    • Search Website
    • Weekly Digest (Subscribe)
  • Ask a Question
    • Ask Question
    • View Questions
    • Your Q & A Activity (from Sept 2020)
Select Page

Government Concerns Trigger Selective Licensing Review

by guildy | 2 Jul 2018 | Licensing of Private Rented Properties (England), News

Government Concerns Trigger Selective Licencing Review

The government has put selective licensing of shared houses under the microscope with a review as landlord and letting agent groups slam the system.

Selective licensing is a tool for local councils to exert strict controls over landlords and rented property standards.

Protestors say the schemes are unwieldy and unnecessarily expensive for decent landlords who abide by the rules and the bad landlords don’t bother to sign up anyway.

“The review will see independent commissioners gather evidence from local authorities and bodies representing landlords, tenants and housing professionals,” says the government.

“In areas where selective licensing applies, landlords must apply for a licence if they want to rent out a property. This means the council can check whether they are a “fit or proper person” to be a landlord, as well as making other stipulations concerning management of the property and appropriate safety measures.”

But property professionals disagree.

“Licensing doesn’t work, and never has. The government’s aims are laudable. We’re all striving for the same end goal of improving the private rental sector for consumers, but these policies are impractical,” said David Cox, CEO of ARLA Propertymark.

“Licensing means councils spend all their time administering schemes, rather than enforcing against rogue, criminal landlords.

“Implementing standards for minimum bedroom sizes means small, cheap bedrooms will be taken off the market at a time when there’s an acute housing shortage. This will increase costs for other tenants living in the property, and means those who need or want these small, cheap bedrooms will be left without anywhere to live.”

Landlord groups were less critical, but argue against the cost of licensing and councils using licensing as a blunt tool against all landlords rather than targeting landlords flouting the law.

The review covers properties in England. Scotland and Wales have their own regulations.

Coronavirus Guidance

View now ...

Discounted landlords buildings insurance

Landlords Building Insurance

Guild subscribers can get preferential rates for landlords buildings insurance especially designed for landlords

Read more ...

Tenant Referencing Service

Tenant Referencing

Tenant Referencing Service

Read more ...

Recent Articles

  • Guild of Landlords House Price Digest – April 2021 14/04/2021
  • Buy to Let Profit Gap Splits North and South 13/04/2021
  • Housing Eviction Mediation Service Launched 09/04/2021
  • Landlords Flouting Fire Safety Face Unlimited Fines 08/04/2021
  • New Features Added to Tenancy Builder (April 2021) 02/04/2021

Navigation

  • Coronavirus
  • Home
  • Pricing
  • Subscribers
  • Services/Discounts
  • Forms
  • Recent
  • Contact
  • Find Answers
    • England Guidance
    • Wales Guidance
    • Housing Changes Timeline (E/W)
    • Admin/Tech Support
    • Search Website
    • Weekly Digest (Subscribe)
  • Ask a Question
    • Ask Question
    • View Questions
    • Your Q & A Activity (from Sept 2020)

Subscribers

  • Login
  • Join
  • Access Problems
  • Status

Terms

General terms and conditions

Website terms

Privacy policy

Status

Status

(c) Guild of Residential Landlords

Recent Articles

  • Guild of Landlords House Price Digest – April 2021 14/04/2021
  • Buy to Let Profit Gap Splits North and South 13/04/2021
  • Housing Eviction Mediation Service Launched 09/04/2021
  • Landlords Flouting Fire Safety Face Unlimited Fines 08/04/2021
  • New Features Added to Tenancy Builder (April 2021) 02/04/2021
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • RSS