Council unveils new licensing scheme as another hails licensing ‘improvements’

A city is claiming that its selective licensing scheme has led to ‘significant improvements’ in its private rented sector in the 15 months since it was launched.

And another council has unveiled a new selective licence scheme in its borough for private landlords.

Peterborough City Council says it processed more than 7,000 licence applications and issued 6,476 licences after rigorous verification of safety documentation and property details.

The scheme builds on its predecessor by introducing a structured schedule of inspections, with each licensed property undergoing two checks during the licence period to proactively address potential issues.

The first wave of inspections, conducted within the initial 12 months, covered nearly 1,500 properties, uncovering more than 6,500 safety concerns.

Scheme is making progress

Peterborough’s cabinet member for housing and communities, Councillor Alison Jones, said: “I’m delighted that the selective licensing scheme is making good progress and is already playing a key role in our aim of improving private rental housing in Peterborough, helping us create strong and sustainable communities.

“The fact that so many issues have been resolved in a short space of time shows how effective the scheme has been and that such an initiative needed to be introduced.”

She added: “Once again, I would like to thank those landlords who have joined the scheme and are working with our officers to improve standards.”

Issues in homes

The council claims that 49% of these homes had at least one critical issue, such as damp, mould, loose plaster or defective electrical systems.

Other issues include inadequate ventilation or substandard window fittings.

Which is working with Home Safe, the council’s delivery partner, which provides landlords with detailed reports post-inspection, outlining necessary repairs.

They are followed up with automated reminders for timely updates to essential certifications, like Gas Safety and energy performance records.

The scheme has already delivered tangible improvements to thousands of tenants’ homes, with most landlords swiftly addressing identified issues.

In cases of non-compliance, Home Safe escalates matters to the council for further action.

Sutton unveils new licensing scheme

Meanwhile, Sutton Council has announced a consultation for its bid to introduce licences for all the borough’s Homes in Multiple Occupation (HMOs).

The consultation runs until 8 September and aims to ensure that properties with shared facilities meet stringent safety and management standards.

The scheme will extend licensing requirements to smaller HMOs housing three or more unrelated individuals, building on the existing mandate for properties with five or more occupants from multiple households.

The new policy will mandate licences for both existing and new HMOs.

Failure to comply could result in fines, prosecution, or, in severe cases, the council assuming direct management of non-compliant properties.

Landlords will pay

Licensing fees will pay for pre-licensing checks, property inspections and enforcement actions against non-compliant landlords.

The chair of Sutton’s housing, economy and business committee, Councillor Jake Short, said: “The vast majority of private landlords offer good-quality homes, but we have been taking steps over the past few years to ensure HMOs in the borough meet a good standard.

“We need to strike the right balance between building new homes and also making sure they are in the right places, are of a high quality and do not impact negatively on existing communities.”

He adds: “Introducing a licensing scheme for all HMOs would make a real difference to those tenants.

“It will also protect the borough’s existing family-sized accommodation from being converted into smaller flats, as well as reducing anti-social behaviour, environmental crimes and parking pressures.”