The truth about Nottingham Council putting private tenant’s rents up

Reply to the comment left by Luke P at 05/04/2018 - 00:32Now that is a very confusing and contradictory article! It suggests that the Supreme court has ruled that enforcement costs are allowed yet the European court has ruled that they're not !! Challenge I say - nothing to lose and after all we're still in the EU. I speak as a Bournemouth Landlord - we managed to knock SL on the head down here 🙂 (for the time being anyway)

Reply to the comment left by Mick Roberts at 05/04/2018 - 07:01
So Mick how can we challenge? I am from nottingham with a portfolio. You wish to speak?

Interesting Doug,
You should join the Anti-Licensing for Landlords group.
I am co-ordinating this and would really like copies of any FOI responses that have been received.
ChrisDanielLM@gmail.com

Reply to the comment left by Mick Roberts at 05/04/2018 - 07:01That's the nub of the problem Mick, L.A's are treating Tenants like Satsuma's but they nor the media want to understand that.
Until we get some Top level marketing / PR and get some media interest, we'll continue to be shafted.
Does anyone know what Open prison Max C is in, he's probably got en-suite wi-fi and perhaps he'll take our case on 😉

A Valid argument - ?
seems to me to be on the level of charging. Whilst the govt have given a virtual free reign on L.A's, the result cannot surely be what was intended -has emerged.
For example, if we take the cheapest option / instance of licensing, which I would say is Wales ( £144 per Landlord, irrespective of the number of properties ) then how can a licensing scheme be operated on such costs compared to £800 or more Per Property !
Actual licensing costs can't vary between a landlord with 10 properties in Wales = £144 versus a Nottingham landlord, 10 x £780 = £7,800 a 5,416% difference. ! A Human rights issue even ?

On 5/3/18 the Government ( Heather Wheeler - Housing minister ) pledged to review selective licensing schemes [don't get excited ] - you may wish to drop her a line with your thoughts, Heather.Wheeler.mp@parliament.uk
This is my response ;
Good afternoon Heather,

Allow me to introduce myself. I am a Private Sector Housing Consultant, Landlord Advisor and Trainer.

I have consulted with local authorities who have Not proceeded with licensing schemes and their comments have included ' incredibly helpful ' on suggestions for Housing enforcement, Landlord engagement Tenancy relations and managing Anti-social behaviour.
If you'll excuse my direct approach, and without meaning any offence, I believe that the MHCLG is showing a lack of leadership and management towards Local authorities. There appears to be no monitoring or publication of performance, pre and post licensing.

In terms of licensing contributing to reductions in Anti-social behaviour, I see absolutely no evidence of this ( and in fact, wonder how its supposed to work anyway ) Until such time that there is a reliable database of the trully anti-social tenants ( Rogue tenants, or rent cheats, if you like - although that might not be a politcically sensitive term, but true nevertheless ) then addressing ASB by Licensing schemes is simply not going to work or be in any way effective.

How can some licensing schemes, if I can use Wales as an example, operate a scheme for £144 per landlord ( irrespective of the number of properties ) and others ask £800 or £900 Per PROPERTY ?

The license fee is supposed to cover the cost of administering the scheme, not enforcement and as a Human Rights principle, you wouldn't expect law -abiding landlords to pay for the the cost of enforcement against those flagrantly breaching regulations.

In any event, the Housing and Planning Act 2016 has provided for Civil Penalties, which hopefully used with judgement and restraint, will fund the cost of enforcement. On this matter, I have to say again that guidance and monitoing of Local Authorities enforcement is somewhat lacking. There are some good examples, some over-zealous examples, and the vast remainder who are sorely lacking.

I am hoping by this stage that you realise that my objection to licensing in as widespread and pervasive a form as its becoming, is in no way connected to any tolerance of landlords who flagrantly disregard regulations. In fact, I support such action that is warranted on the most deserving cases.

I would further like to point out some discord between rhetoric used for example in the introduction to Civil penalties, that 82% of tenants are satisfied with their accomodation. Should that not mean that Licensing is at Most, only required in a maximum of 18% of rented accomodation ?

As a landlord advisor, I woud accede to one point which in my view is the ONLY benefit of licensing schemes, which is Accreditation ( although there are ways of mandating this without licensing. Just require all Landlords to be accredited and those that are found to breach any regulations are penalised in an appropiate manner with an addition for not being Accredited )
With some 60 % I believe statistics put it, of landlords owning only one property - they often feel that the time and trouble of educating themselves with what has become especially over recent years a mamouth plethora of legislation / regulation [ whether appropriate or otherwise ] is unnecessary, to which I disagree.

As for the argument of Licensing providing a database of landlords upon which to refer, this again is simply flawed for the Criminal landlords just won't apply and continue to operate under the radar. Also, there are methods already in place, although not cross-referenced or used collaboratively that can achieve this and more.

I understand HMRC believe there are some 990,000 landlords not registered as receiving Any income from property they let. Why aren't landlords required to submit the addresses of properties they own and rent and have just the name and addreesses available to L.A's so that a cross reference bwtween this, Council tax and Land registry data can be made. This country has several silo's of information that are not used in a collaborative manner.

Some other opinions on the PRS, many related to licensing can be found on my response to the Housing Ombudsman Consultation, at http://www.PossessionFriend.uk/housing-ombudsman for example, that 32,500 tenants could be accomodated each year in the time taken for a landlord to get possession from a tenant !

I do hope you will take my comments constructively, as intended.
I am also contactable for further consultation if required.
Regards,
Chris Daniel

Chris. I'm away at moment clearing some emails up. But don't have access to big computer to save your details etc.
Do u want to email me 2 May mick.roberts2011@hotmail.co.uk see what can be done etc.
They bringing this in. But yes I have some FOI requests u can have.
I have some Nottingham Landlords that have also put in their own.
My biggest one for me so the streets. They apparently can only bring in Selective Licensing in the area if 6 things (oh office computer). Trouble. Low demand etc. My streets have NONE of these things and FOI at moment have refused request to tell me what trouble these streets have had.
So it's something I'm gonna chase when get more time.

Reply to the comment left by Mick Roberts at 21/04/2018 - 10:25Hi Mick,
Any FOI material you have is potentially useful.
I think appealing conditions, winning and publishing those is great for Landlords and detrimental for the Council.
Maybe get a locksmith cost for changing locks, divide it by the length of a Fix term and get some publicity of how much extra on Rent this would have to cost
Tenants – that Landlords don’t Want to ( but have to ) pass on some of the charge. ?
Perhaps pointing out that this condition and cost of it would have to be placed in a tenancy agreement and then potentially deducted from their deposit ?

Reply to the comment left by Abdul Khan at 07/04/2018 - 12:13
Abdul. Do u want to email me above.
Same again. It's coming in. I think I've turned it round in Nottingham now where the majority of tenant now know it's the councils fault for any future possible rent increases and the council are getting some tenants moaning at them. So the Council may be prepared to help.

But we just appeal every single ground we are unhappy with. Every landlord needs to appeal.

Yeah ask me these 2 May when I'm back in UK and have no pen and paper on me now.

Where did the council think the money is gonna come from? They proper thick.