Professional body pushes for licensing schemes to be doubled to improve housing conditions

Professional body pushes for licensing schemes to be doubled to improve housing conditions

10:01 AM, 6th November 2024, About a month ago 2

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Selective licensing schemes should DOUBLE from five to ten years, says professional body.

The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) supports an amendment by Carla Denyer, co-leader of the Green Party, in the Renters’ Rights Bill to double the duration of licensing schemes, which she claims “will help local authorities improve housing conditions”.

This is despite selective licensing schemes costing landlords hundreds of pounds and the Department of Housing, Communities and Local Government saying licensing schemes should only be used as a “last resort”.

Resolve problems without the need for tenants to complain

The CIEH says: “Licensing provides a means for local authorities to inspect privately rented housing using enforceable conditions – and to identify and resolve problems – without the need for tenants to have complained.”

It believes the changes proposed in the amendment would remove unnecessary barriers to the use of licensing schemes to improve housing standards.

A previous Property118 article explains how councils have more power than the police to inspect properties and even force entry.

Use licensing schemes to improve housing standards

The CIEH argues that increasing the maximum duration of discretionary licensing schemes, including selective licensing and additional licensing for smaller HMOs, would allow local authorities to advertise longer-term posts and provide training for new staff.

The CIEH also wants to remove a “peculiar disconnect” in current law that allows local authorities to introduce selective licensing to address poor housing conditions but prevents them from enforcing housing standards as a licence condition.

Mark Elliott, President of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, said: “We have been working hard to highlight these issues and are delighted that they will now be discussed by a parliamentary committee.

“The government should grasp this opportunity to make it easier for local authorities to use licensing schemes to improve housing standards.

“We will continue to make the voice of environmental health professionals heard on licensing and other issues during the passage of the Bill through parliament.”


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Disgrunteld Landlady

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15:40 PM, 6th November 2024, About a month ago

What a Joke, Licensing Schemes, they take your money in order to deal with "anti social behaviour" is the way they are pitched. We had a tenant who tampered with his meter, drug addict, threw needles and the knife he threatened to stab people with out the window but had another knife to hand when we finally got an Electrician in to do an EICR, which needless to say was not completed. Council refused any help - Durham if you want to know. It just another tax and whilst the people in Councils have always been pleasant to deal with they do not help out when help is really needed. And they are frequently wrong in what needs to be done to maintain properties - Flat out wrong but I wasnt bothered to argue with them. My choice has been to sell up.

Mick Roberts

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16:27 PM, 6th November 2024, About a month ago

So The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) and Carla Denyer, co-leader of the Green Party, wants to see rents increasing again and more homeless.
They proper nuts. Clearly intelligent people but zero common sense.
Come talk to my Bulwell Nottingham tenants to see if they would like Selective Licensing. Cause their homes have been way less safe since licensing.
Less safe in the security of them living there for the next 10+ years.
And less safe in if the Nottingham Council have £890 funds for admin, that's £890 less to spend on the house.
Go get the bad houses and stop charging those houses with zero problems and tenants paying 30% below market rent. Cause we know what happens when you give us charges out of thin air, TENANTS RENT PAYS DOR EVERYTHING. Cheap rents won't pay for this, so we have to increase the rent.

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