New HMO licence – Can Islington demand these conditions?

New HMO licence – Can Islington demand these conditions?

10:02 AM, 30th November 2020, About 3 years ago 13

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I recently discovered that my council (Islington) now require my family home (previously classified as an unlicensed HMO as it has 4 young professionals renting it under one tenancy agreement) to be licensed.

After a huge payment to apply for a licence online, and then a second huge payment is taken, I receive an email and letter confirming that they propose to license my house as an HMO, but I need to meet the following Additional Licence conditions:

i. Provide a satisfactory fire detection and alarm system inspection and servicing report that details the required information in FSG7 certificate or equivalent with reference to
ii. Provide a current emergency lighting certificate for the property which has been obtained within the last twelve months.

Since I really don’t want to fit fire alarm system (I have 10 year connected RF smoke/heat alarms as it is) nor an emergency lighting in my house that I may move back into in the future, can anyone advise if the council within their rights to demand that I meet those requirements?

Many thanks

Sandy

 


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Comments

Ian Narbeth

10:45 AM, 1st December 2020, About 3 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Martin Thomas at 01/12/2020 - 10:22
Martin you write: "you and other landlords could take them to the 1st Tier Tribunal if you are convinced it is overkill after reading LACORS". Much as I sympathize it will cost far more in terms of time, professional fees and your time to fight it with the Council than to comply. It frustrates me that we have to install fire panels with 3-zone alarms for a 3-storey town house. Costs at least £1000 extra but that's the price of doing business.
Remember also you will be dealing with the same Council for as long as you have the property. You might win at the tribunal but don't expect the Council officers to cut you any slack in future.

Martin Thomas

13:07 PM, 1st December 2020, About 3 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Ian Narbeth at 01/12/2020 - 10:45
I agree with most of what you say Ian. It does cost to go to the Tribunal, both time and money but it might be the only way to challenge some of the more outlandish demands from over zealous Council officials. That's why a group of landlords might need to band together to make the challenge.

Sandy

18:55 PM, 1st December 2020, About 3 years ago

Many thanks to those who have provided useful information and in particular Phil, Ian and Martin. This experience has served as a reminder how carefully one needs to craft a question online to ensure readers don’t infer all sorts of erroneous conclusions from it!
My house is a three storey one which may well make it a slam dunk for needing a fire alarm with a control panel – which is one of the things that I was hoping to avoid as I think it changes the character of a property from feeling like a home, to feeling like an bedsit. My tenants (like Londonlad’s) will not appreciate the trade-off for extra fire security that it will apparently offer them.
For the record, I do consider myself to be a good landlady, and certainly do not wish to put my tenants at any undue risk, but I also do not wish to install unsightly equipment if it is not required. Already the property has significantly better fire (and CO) detection and prevention mechanisms than I had for my own family and lodgers when we lived there, and yet my tenants as a group are significantly more capable of escaping a fire than my family as a group was then. I guess I must be a bad parent!
Thanks again
Sand

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