Sadiq Khan launches Property Licence Checker for tenants

Sadiq Khan launches Property Licence Checker for tenants

9:41 AM, 19th November 2020, About 3 years ago 14

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The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan has launched a new online tool to search if a landlord has licensed a rental property and announcing tenants could be owed thousands of pounds in rent repayments if their landlord has failed to obtain the correct licence.

If a landlord does not hold the correct property licence, they may be subject to enforcement action from the local council, but the Mayor says implications for London tenants are also significant: Section 21 ‘no fault’ eviction notices are invalidated, and they may be entitled to a Rent Repayment Order requiring a landlord to pay back up to 12 months’ rent. The current average rent in London is around £1,425 per month, meaning a year’s worth of repaid rent would come to more than £17,000.

The Checker will also provide intelligence to help boroughs target their enforcement against landlords especially those who have failed to register licences for larger HMOs, where some of the poorest property conditions can be found in London.

Sadiq Khan said: “With nearly a fifth of London’s private rented accommodation not meeting basic standards, it is vital that every privately rented property is licensed so landlords can be held to account for the conditions their tenants live in.

“My new Property Licence Checker is a key part of my work to redress the imbalance of power that currently exists in the London private rented sector. London’s renters deserve to live in safe, secure, comfortable accommodation, whilst councils need the tools to deal with rogue operators.

“That’s why I’m calling on the Government to give City Hall the power to consider and approve new licensing schemes in London. This would help create more consistency in property licensing across London, creating a more transparent system for landlords and better protections for London’s private renters, who time and again are treated as an afterthought by ministers.”


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Comments

NewYorkie

15:57 PM, 19th November 2020, About 3 years ago

Reply to the comment left by TrevL at 19/11/2020 - 15:32
I'm not sure what more the government can do to make BTL any less profitable. As soon as I can dispose of my 2 remaining BTLs, I'm out of it!

Sam Addison

19:48 PM, 20th November 2020, About 3 years ago

I will not invest in property in London or , in fact, anywhere where licensing my property is compulsory. If it happens in Leigh, Lancs I am selling up!

Jon D

18:50 PM, 25th November 2020, About 3 years ago

Anyone see the Thatcher docu on BBC? All that socio-economic pain to shift from socialism to true Tory capitalist ideas. Cities were on fire. Maggie stuck to her guns. Perhaps to an extreme.
Housing Acts put the tenant & landlord on equal footing instead of protected tenancies and other nonsense. The AST was a landmark.
Since then the Tories have shifted to the centre, picking apart the Housing Acts to favour Generation Rent.
And now Kahn stirs it up.

Monty Bodkin

22:49 PM, 25th November 2020, About 3 years ago

Useless and worthless.

Has anyone really noticed?

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