Norwich considers wider landlord licensing scheme

Landlords in Norwich could face a new licensing regime covering smaller HMOs and privately rented homes in four wards.

Norwich City Council will present its private rented sector review to the scrutiny committee this week.

The report says evidence could support city-wide additional licensing for three- and four-person HMOs, alongside selective licensing in Nelson, Mile Cross, Town Close and Sewell.

No scheme has been proposed yet and councillors are being asked only to review, note and comment on the findings.

Council weighs licensing

The report said: “The evidence presented indicates that there are ongoing challenges within Norwich’s private rented sector relating to housing conditions, property management, and wider neighbourhood impacts.

“A range of potential responses are available, each with different implications, benefits and risks.”

It added: “Discretionary licensing represents one possible approach, but its appropriateness and proportionality require careful consideration and consultation.

“The views of the Scrutiny Committee will inform the development of future proposals.”

Serious hazards identified

Norwich has 20,330 privately rented properties, accounting for 29.3% of its 69,441 homes, compared with 23% of housing stock in 2011.

Council estimates put 2,286 of those properties, or 11.2% of the sector, as having at least one serious home hazard, against a national average of 10%.

Between 1 April 2020 and 31 March 2025, the authority recorded 670 complaints at privately rented homes and issued 1,690 notices to addresses in the sector.

Another 1,961 properties with EPC records were rated E, F or G, equal to 10.5%.

Smaller HMOs targeted

The review estimates Norwich has 2,343 HMOs, excluding purpose-built student accommodation, with 1,137 predicted to be smaller properties outside mandatory licensing.

Of the total, 470 HMOs are likely to contain at least one serious hazard, representing 20% of such properties.

Anti-social behaviour data records 228 incidents linked to known and predicted HMOs, a rate of 9.7 per 100 properties, compared with 3.3 per 100 across privately rented homes.

Licence fees have not been set, but any formal consultation would last at least 10 weeks and a scheme, if approved, would normally run for up to five years.