Good progress on landlord licensing applications
MORE than a quarter of private
landlords in Liverpool have so far signed up to the City's new compulsory
licensing scheme.
The mandatory initiative requires all landlords in the City to have a 5 year
licence for each of their rented properties as part of a major drive to improve
standards in the sector.
Liverpool is the 1st major City to introduce a City wide 'selective
licensing' scheme, and up to 50,000 properties owned by an estimated 5,000
landlords will be covered when it becomes a legal requirement from 1 April 2015.
The 1st part of the application process opened in late February 2015, and so far
1,341 landlords, who between them manage 5,870 properties have registered their
details.
Landlords need to complete the 1st part of the application process at:-
Liverpool.Gov.UK, before 1 April 2015, including
their contact details and the properties they intend to licence.
Liverpool City Council's Assistant Mayor and Cabinet member for housing,
Councillor Ann O'Byrne, said:- "We have been really careful to make the
application process as simple as possible and are extremely pleased with the
take up so far.
A wider publicity campaign is now getting underway to promote the scheme and
this will further heighten awareness and encourage landlords to register.
Liverpool has a growing number of privately rented properties and the sector is
vital in meeting the City's housing needs, so it is important that what is on
offer is of high quality.
This scheme is about giving tenants some expectation of their rights, and the
City Council the power to tackle breaches."
The City Council will determine that the proposed licence holder is a 'fit
and proper' person to manage their properties including having regard,
amongst other things, to any convictions for dishonesty, violence or drugs or
contraventions of housing or landlord/tenant laws.
Landlords will have to meet a variety of conditions around:- fire, electric and
gas safety; rectifying disrepair issues; tackling pest infestations; keeping the
exterior in a good state of repair and dealing with complaints about anti social
behaviour caused by tenants.
Landlord licensing has the backing of campaign groups including:- 'Shelter' and
'Generation Rent.'
Applications can be made at:-
Liverpool.Gov.UK.
Quick facts about the scheme:-
► The licence fee costs £400 per property and landlords with more than one
property will pay £350 for each additional home.
► Members of an accredited or co-regulation scheme approved by the council such
as CLASS will pay £200 per property to recognise that they are already a good
landlord.
► Landlords have to pay £100 per property at the second stage of registration at
the beginning of April 2015. They will then have until the end of the year to
pay the remaining balance.
