Our blanket licensing scheme is a success, says Newham

Newham’s controversial mandatory licensing scheme is proving successful, the council has claimed.

The authority is the first in the UK to have implemented a scheme that requires all private landlords in the borough to have a licence, regardless of the size or type of property.

The scheme was launched in January, costing £150 for a five-year licence if landlords applied for licences before the end of that month, and £500 for those applying later.

Any landlords that have failed to apply are subject to fines of up to £20,000 per property.

The council now says that since the start of February, landlords of some 2,320 properties were sent warning letters, with half going on to get licences.

Some 63 operations have been carried out to target properties that are unlicensed or poorly managed, with 110 ongoing legal cases relating to unlicensed properties and HMO offences. Some 43 cautions have additionally been issued, and enforcement charges of £300 levied.

Meanwhile, in Nottingham, landlords and agents are concerned about plans by the city council to implement a costly additional licensing scheme.

This will take in some 3,500 HMOs. A five-year licence will cost £980 per property.

Giles Inman, spokesperson for the East Midlands Property Owners (EMPO) association, said: “This scheme will be most damaging in the long run to the very tenants it was designed to safeguard, as the increased costs will ultimately fall on the tenants in the form of higher rents.

“It has the potential to increase homelessness for those on benefits at a time when the city is already experiencing a housing crisis.

“We believe that rents and evictions in Nottingham will inevitably rise as professional landlords have no choice but to spread the additional cost of licensing across their property portfolios, or re-market their HMO properties to fewer tenants to avoid costly licensing.”

According to the Office for National Statistics, Nottingham households have the lowest disposable income in the UK.

Landlord and EMPO member Roger Lancaster said: “I can’t see how additional licensing is going to make any difference to tackling anti-social problems such as bins on the streets, house disrepair and noise.

“The overwhelming majority of landlords are law-abiding, while it’s just a small minority that the licensing is targeted at who are unlikely to register in the first place!

“Anti-social behaviour would be far better addressed with the powers currently available to Nottingham City Council.”