Yet another council consults on extending private rental licensing

Consultation has begun on a new licensing scheme for landlords being proposed by Nottingham council. 

It runs until March 31 and gives agents, residents, tenants, landlords and others the chance to comment on a selective licensing scheme requiring private landlords to obtain a license demonstrating that they and their properties met required standards.

The local council claims the amount of privately rented housing in Nottingham increased by 12 per cent between 2001 and 2011 according to Census data, and has risen “significantly further still” in the last five years.

In line with the approach taken by other councils across the country, the authority says standards have not kept pace with the growth of the sector. It claims to have received over 4,500 complaints in the last four years about private rental accommodation with problems ranging from dangerous electrical wiring, cockroach infestations and lack of windows to smoke alarms not working and lack of safe escape. 

The majority of privately rented properties in the city would be covered by the scheme and the council is suggesting the initial cost of the license would be £600 for five years with a proposed £140 discount for accredited landlords. 

Revenue from the licenses could only be used by the council to cover the cost of administering the scheme.