Landlord claims selective licensing will force evictions of long-term tenants

I’d have three options

(1) Pay the SL fee
(2) Sell to another landlord
(3) Seek vacant possession and sell to a (probable) first time buyer

Option (1) means an increase in rent to cover the cost of SL and the additional admin. It also increases the risk that tenants might fall into arrears which, for me, means even higher rent to cover the additional risk.

Option (2) is unlikely. Landlords are simply not buying properties because of the poor returns, massive admin, disproportionate penalties and over-regulation.

Option (3) gives the council another family the stress of a Section 8 ‘No fault’ eviction (these will replace the Section 21 ‘No fault’ evictions when the RRB eviction is passed into Law).

Clearly, Option (3) is the most likely candidate. It brings forward my exit plan , removes the risks of being a landlord and provides a healthy bank account.

Reply to the comment left by Cider Drinker at 06/08/2025 – 08:21
I am in the same position, same options to sell my properties enmass.

There are no investors, as per your option 2.

Option 3 keeping properties empty means double council tax for London properties.
The government wants us to sell to gain CGT. They know some of them would be bought by investors, so BTL will not suffer tremendously.
However, they miss the bigger picture, that there is still a shortage of housing as more people leave university and want accomodations, more students, more asylum seekers.
They think they are solving a problem by getting more CGT.
But their stupid brains cannot compute the need to keep landlords and provide incentives to new younger people to encourage investment.

I have already sold most of mine. I recently evicted 2 long term tenants, refurbished both and they have just gone on the market. Only 4 left when they sell. I have been in this game for 30 years, no kids to leave anything to, so may as well sell and enjoy my impending retirement.

I have every sympathy for Micks Long term tenants , I am sure the tenant has been very happy for the last 20 years , now she is facing Homelessness Due entirly to Government and Council Policies .
Why does the council not purchase the properties. With assistance from the Government.

This will be happening all over the Country

I’m not sure why Mr Roberts has to evict to sell. He has to evict to avoid the selective licences and the associated costs but that surely is a matter for him rather than the council

Reply to the comment left by at 06/08/2025 – 10:58
From experience it’s much better to present a property for sale as empty and sold with vacant possession. No investors are buying so the hope of somebody else taking on the tenants is ill founded I fear. From my own experience when a tenant refused to leave (the council had insisted on bailiffs to secure future help for him) and the sale fell through, I would always evict first. Also, it’s going to take much longer to evict when the RRB goes through. The property can be spruced up for selling and the Agent can have keys for viewings as and when. I’m surprised Agents even take properties on to their books with a tenant in situ. It can be major hassle if they don’t agree to viewings etc.

With increases to SDLT, there are fewer people that can afford to buy the 1.5 million new homes that Labour have promised.

Those that could afford to buy them (often landlords) are no longer interested thanks to additional property rates of SDLT, CGT (a tax on inflation), Section 24, the Renters Rights Bill, expansion of Selective Licensing and potential EPC changes.

The country is skint but still the politicians spend, spend, spend.

Reply to the comment left by Cider Drinker at 06/08/2025 – 08:21

That’s the battle I’ve got, trying to convince Landlords this tenant is brilliant, but she’s not paying top whack. New Landlord not bothered, he owes no loyalty to the tenant he doesn’t know.
He She just wants the numbers to add up.
There’s a big debate on Facebook now about it
258 comments so far & 80% against Licensing.
https://www.facebook.com/nottinghamshirelive/posts/nottingham-city-council-says-it-has-given-ample-time-to-the-landlord-to-make-arr/1147413237411673/

Reply to the comment left by Tiger at 06/08/2025 – 10:01
Yes Tiger, Govt don’t look beyond 5 years do they.

Reply to the comment left by J CHAPMAN at 06/08/2025 – 10:32

Similar here, been in the game 28 years & the Govt & Council’s stupidity & lack or working with us is wearing us down.