Help. I am desperate and all of you can help me!

Help. I am desperate and all of you can help me!

8:30 AM, 10th August 2017, About 7 years ago 16

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Have you heard of selective licencing?

Well it is really bad news for landlords. In 19 years of being a landlord, this is by far the worst crisis to hit me. You really need to watch out for this and guard against it. My local council, Telford and Wrekin, want to apply to the secretary of State to impose special measures to areas which they consider to be suffering from vandalism, anti-social behavior, fly-tipping and general deprivation. They are in consultation until 21st August and if implemented, would mean I have to apply for a licence to rent out my properties. This would be £610 per property and I have six in this area. Then they would have the power to impose sixty mandatory conditions in order for me to obtain such a licence.

I was extremely shocked and surprised that they want to do this as I and my tenants have always regarded “Hollinswood” in Telford as a nice pleasant area. Obviously, there is some crime, but no more than the average for any estate and I have never witnessed anti-social behaviour or fly-tipping as the council claims is the reason for these extreme measures, but there is a lot of landlords and the council will accrue a great deal of money in licence fees from landlords. I regard this as just another tax and way of hitting out at landlords.

I really really need all of you to go to www.telford.gov.uk/selectivelicencing and fill in the online survey. I think the tick box questions are really biased and I did not tick any of them, just filling in comments on how bad selective licencing would be for landlords, tenants and homeowners alike. I did not recognise the area portrayed in the video.

There is information and a campaign against selective licencing at the website of “Wrekin Landlords Association” which is well worth a visit. They are also on Facebook.

Please please help me.

I and other landlords face a huge financial hit and an administrative nightmare if the council have their way, and remember, the scourge of selective licencing could come to a council near you!

PS. Could you please make a quick reply to let me know how many of you have filled in the online survey.

It is a numbers game and every comment matters.

Thank-you very much.

Martin


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Comments

Sam Caine

14:28 PM, 10th August 2017, About 7 years ago

Hi Martin,

I've filled in the survey - giving lots of ideas as to how one could improve the situation without the use of this scheme.

I shall keep my fingers crossed for you and for the rest who are in other areas that such schemes fail.

I also agree with Dr Beck- In my opinion, it seems that the council wish to penalize landlords/management agents for actions they did not do and cannot control. Hence a legal review of liability for the responsibilities listed under the licensing would be interesting.

Sam

TonyS

15:08 PM, 10th August 2017, About 7 years ago

If crime and social behaviour became ast bad overnight as the Council are saying it is I thinkd I would be looking for a reduction in the Councils rates bill!!

Recardo

15:45 PM, 10th August 2017, About 7 years ago

I have also done the survey which does have a lot of meaningless boxes to tick. Main comment was at the end, which they will not listen too), licensing good landlords is only spin to fill council coffers. It will not prevent ASB, as they already have the power to do something about it themselves. Without licensing I have the power to give a waning and the evict if the continue.
I also stated licencing along with removal of mortgage relief (S24), and more and more regulations would only lead to more evictions and homelessness, as tenants could not meet the passed on costs.
I also mention I am in the process of selling my most expensively mortgaged house ( in Wallington, Surrey), and if licensing was introduced in East Anglia where I have other properties I would be selling them. The Council there have a major shortage of social housing.

Brian Sager

21:26 PM, 11th August 2017, About 7 years ago

Blackpool had its first one five years ago and have introduced extra zones since.

Martin Bailey

18:47 PM, 12th August 2017, About 7 years ago

Hi. Thank-you all who have replied to my article on selective licencing. Personally, I had not heard of selective licencing before it came to Telford and I only found out about it because one of my tenants showed me a leaflet from Wrekin Landlords Association which was designed to inform residents about the disadvantages. If they had not done this, I think I would still be ignorant about the whole business, until they sent me a bill of course.
The council say, on their website that they will contact people who it will affect and would like their comments, but They do not even have the courtesy to contact me and inform me so I can object and of course it will affect me as I have 6 properties in the area.
The Wrekin Landlords Association is fighting a vigorous campaign against selective licencing during this consultation period which ends on 21st August. They say they will have a judicial review and landlords and members have pledged £36,000 to do it. I will be watching closely and think it will benefit all landlords to do the same.
Regards. Martin

Mark Alexander - Founder of Property118

19:04 PM, 12th August 2017, About 7 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Martin Bailey at 12/08/2017 - 18:47On what grounds will they apply for a Judicial Review?

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