Letting agents have a final chance today to have their say on a consultation into a newly proposed licensing scheme for HMOs in Nottingham.
The council’s consultation opened on March 1 and closes at midnight tonight.
The council wants to hear views on proposals to introduce a new five-year Additional HMO Licensing Scheme: the current scheme will soon come to an end and the council is now looking to consult on a new scheme covering the whole city – which could run for a further five years from January 2024.
A statement from the council claims: “The scheme aims to help ensure safe and decent standards in these homes and contribute to raising the standards of privately rented homes in the city overall. Landlords would be required to apply for a licence, which can last up to five years, for each HMO property they rent out. Larger HMO properties shared by five or more people are covered by a different scheme – Mandatory Licensing, which is a national scheme.”
Councillor Jay Hayes, the council’s portfolio holder for housing, says: “This housing licensing scheme, along with others, is a major part of our plans to improve all types of privately rented housing in the city. We believe people renting privately have a right to expect a decent standard of accommodation, which is safe, well managed and maintained. Poor housing conditions and poor property management can have a serious impact on people’s health and well-being, as well as causing problems for local neighbourhoods that see higher crime and anti-social behaviour rates.
“The council believes the introduction of a new licensing scheme would not only bring benefits for tenants and local communities but also landlords who, by obtaining a licence, will be able to clearly demonstrate to prospective tenants that they meet required standards.”
In January Nottingham council started consulting on a second scheme of Selective Licensing and would require private landlords who let properties in certain parts of the city to obtain a licence, demonstrating that they and their properties meet required standards.
Controversially, the council told landlords not to raise rents to cover the cost of the licences.
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Why bother? Councils do what they want anyway. As for telling landlords not to raise rents to cover the cost of the licence, well they have to be joking. Landlords are running a business and increased costs are passed on to the customer.
When these gestapo councils are given even more power under the ''Mein Kampf" legislation when it becomes law it will be a condition of the grant of a licence that your rent is reduced to one percent of a councillors wages
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