Birmingham City Council renting out properties they would destroy a private landlord for letting

Thanks for raising this

This is one reason why the free market is better than state control.
When the state fails there is quite often no remedy and little accountability. Failure and mediocrity are allowed to continue.

You can change from a bad landlord to a good one, but much harder to change council.

Ah…but what does Shelter say? Ms. Neate & her skewed, ideological opposition & ignorance of the PRS is the paid mouthpiece for anti-capitalist momentum movement that hides behind their prejudices to incessantly attack the PRS without ever suggesting real world solutions in our capitalist system. Ive been a property manager for 35 years & its crystal clear to me that local & central govt. are quite clueless when deciding on housing legislation. They never go to the coal face & ask me what the real problems are in the PRS, they just guess with political bias disregarding the basic fact that the PRS is a business. Many of my clients are selling up due to the LA tax of licencing properties - £850 per property & various other valid reasons that make being a landlord just uneconomic. The authorities either knowingly or stupidly introduce rules & regulations that have led to the housing crisis that has been growing for years…put simply, they are incompetent & negligent. I feel very sorry for the young in society as they have not been seen as the vital next generation that needs a helping hand.

Separate independent body (that includes PRS LLs as part of the board) to inspect and have power over LAs and the (pre-named) *individuals* at the LA who are personally responsible. Fair’s fair…

This from the council that is bringing in SL April 2023 as they think the PRS LL's are all devils and need to be shot providing slum properties!!!!

Well done for telling us this Phil.

I've sent u private email if u want some Brownie points please. I've got the National Audit office to investigate Nottingham City Imbecile Council Selective Licensing homeless inducing rent increasing causing scheme. And EMPO East Midlands Property Owners Landlord association may wish to use your expertise to prepare our defence for him as the Council are lying to him. And if we get his report before Council ask Govt for renewal, we can send the Govt this report. An example here:

Me to Auditor:
I've got u contacts within the Council who ring all Landlords up in Nottingham to get houses for Nottingham Council homeless tenants. I've asked them if they will speak to u off the record, & they've agreed.
.
Every 100 calls they make to Landlords & they work with Letting Agents too, & they made 1000's, 99% of Landlords say I am not taking your tenants because of Selective Licensing.
Housing Aid, the Council Homeless section who are now NPRAS I think & wait for this XXX, if the Council say Licensing isn't costing money elsewhere, NPRAS are now PAYING 6 months rent up front to Landlords, the Council are that desperate. They don't want this 6 months back off anyone.

This totally contradicts the UTTER LIES the Selective Licensing Council officers has told u about homeless no problem cause of Licensing.
Licensing officers know how to enforce standards & prosecute Landlords. They know nothing else of keeping tenants in their homes long term.

The Council has said there is no problem because the Rented sector in Nottingham is very buoyant.
The rented sector is VERY buoyant in that Benefit tenants can no longer move PURELY cause of Licensing. As we speak, I'm trying to get someone very high up in the Council Homeless section to speak to u anonymously. This is separate to the phone number I've already gave u. Selective Licensing has been their biggest problem. Four fold increase through their doors since introduced. They don't shout out through fear of their jobs.
Buoyant in the demand is massive. Not buoyant in terms of supply. Don't let the Council mislead u with their words. Go ask the Letting Agents, I can put u in touch with some if u like. Where u will get the truth.

And you've just hit the nail on the head, if Licensing has said it isn't easy to prove the Benefits of it, that says it all, does it not? So they've had £15 million + in & they can't prove any Benefits?

Most of u r very good. But are u perfect? Read Licensing conditions and tell yourself:
1. Could u comply with all them.
2. Would u take any tenant on that wasn't the most prim proper person ever?
3. If u was a landlord getting older, would u want to be dealing with that for EVERY house EVERY tenant?
4. Could u be doing with giving out 200 pages to each tenant each house.
5. Would u take a Benefit tenant on after being told u had to comply with them conditions?
Selective Licensing conditions Feb 2022
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sD_HRl57ANNw4PBAb-FGRU7h-0Qby9Vm5xLioH_nA7c/edit?usp=sharing

XXX,
The 3rd Councillor responsible for Selective Licensing and Housing for Nottingham has now gone if u was aware. So we now on our 4th Councillor in 4 years. Linda Woodings who's gone was responsible for the increase to £890 mid term cause they wasn't getting enough money in to run their poor admin. Nuts. When a business not getting enough customer's, it has to reduce the price as u know. So they absolve theirself now going forwards of all the future escalating homeless they have contributed to.

How come some Councils can do 1/4 of the price for £280? Oxford Council below.

5 year licence will cost £480, with an early bird discount of £400 for landlords who apply within the first 3 months. £280 accredited.
https://www.landlordtoday.co.uk/breaking-news/2022/4/labour-councils-huge-licensing-scheme-wins-government-backing#comments

while the thrust is right, tenants do have legal redress and it seems this is the result of the tenant failing to do anything. the daughter is "Scared" of requesting help for her mother, she is also scared of taking the council to task and suing them. It does not sound as if she has complained till recently , You cannot blame a landlord about not doing something when they are in total ignorance of the problem. When they did discover it they offered alternative accommodation and tried to get access. The tenant denied them access. i fail to see how this is the council's fault.