Two massive new rental licensing schemes are set to be approved in Brighton – and part of the reason is “uninterested letting agents” says the council’s Labour housing chief.
A statement from the Labour controlled authority says that while many of the rental properties that make up a third of the city’s housing stock are well run “issues reported through the council show that management, standards and quality of private rented aren’t consistent.”
If agreed at a committee meeting next week, consultation will begin this autumn on introducing a new Additional Licensing scheme for smaller Houses in Multiple Occupation with fewer households than Mandatory Licensed HMOs, and a Selective Licensing Scheme for all private rented homes in certain areas.
The five year term of the city’s previous city-wide Additional HMO Licensing Scheme for smaller HMOs not covered by Mandatory HMO Licensing came to an end earlier this year.
This additional licensing scheme covered around 1,900 HMOs across the city, and allowed us to work closely with landlords to improve properties.
A Selective Licensing scheme is initially proposed in four wards where, the council claims, “evidence demonstrates a clear link between poor property conditions, deprivation and private rented homes.”
The proposal also covers the option of introducing a further Selective Licensing Scheme covering 13 wards in the city on the grounds of poor property conditions.
If approved, Selective Licensing in 13 wards would form a second phase of the scheme and would be subject to approval by the Secretary of State approval.
Gill Williams, housing committee chairperson, says: “Private rented accommodation covers nearly a third of the city’s housing. It can provide people with flexible and decent homes, but we know the quality of management and maintenance is inconsistent.
“Time and again we hear from residents about their poor experiences with landlords and uninterested letting agents, who fail to maintain their property and force tenants to live in sometimes disgusting, unhabitable conditions.
“Tenants in the private sector often live with the fear of eviction or having their deposit withheld if they raise an issue. Many live with the uncertainty of short-term contracts or break clauses used to evict them at short notice.
“We know that not all landlords behave like this, we will work with landlords to improve the quality of rental accommodation.
“These proposed landlord licensing schemes will help tackle the problem of landlords who fail to manage and maintain their properties.
“We aim to raise standards in more privately rented homes in the city and help make sure that all tenants in the sector can live in safe, healthy and well-managed homes.”
