21 Oct 24
Barking and Dagenham council is launching what appears to be a unique approach to new licensing regimes for private landlords.
Councillor Syed Ghani, who’s running the schemes, says: “I’m really pleased that the additional HMO licensing scheme has been approved, as this will provide reassurance and support for private tenants. This scheme will allow us to ensure that landlords are providing quality homes for their tenants and also give us the means to tackle rogue landlords.”
All properties requiring a licence will be inspected prior to the licence being issued, and fees will be automatically discounted for landlords demonstrating best practices:
- Silver Compliance Award: Satisfactory rating from compliance audit inspection (property meets the standards when inspected). Discount – £200 off the Part B fee for scheme running costs;
- Gold Compliance Award: Accredited landlord and satisfactory rating from compliance audit inspection. Discount – £250 off the Part B fee for scheme running costs.
The new selective scheme is set to cost landlords £950 and the additional scheme, £1,400. The charges and ‘gold and silver’ system comes into effect in early January.
Said Phil Turtle, Director of compliance services for Landlord Licensing & Defence, “It is good to see a Local Housing Authority reverting to the original intention that all properties should be inspected prior to licensing so that the licence does actually give tenants some hope that the property is fit for habitation and LB
Barking and Dagenham should be congratulated for this if they manage to implement it without the massive delays most councils operate with.
“Sadly a vast number of Local Housing Authorities operate a cynical policy of leaving the inspection until party-way through the licence in order to be sure of being able to issue compliance fines and frequently leaving tenants in properties that are licensed but unsafe or even mortal danger making. A joke of the whole idea of property licensing.”
The new scheme will cover privately rented, smaller HMOs that house three or four people, currently outside the scope of mandatory licensing. Under the scheme, landlords of smaller HMOs in Barking and Dagenham will need to ensure they are fully licensed and maintain safe, decent homes. The additional HMO scheme will mean landlords of all HMOs in Barking and Dagenham will require a licence to legally let their properties.
