|
More landlords may be required to
obtain license
WIRRAL Council is set to take action
against rogue landlords through extending a licensing scheme which forces them
to improve their properties; or face seeing them being taken off the market.
Selective Licensing, which requires landlords to agree to a range of conditions
around the standards of their accommodation, is being extended through some of
Wirral's more deprived communities, after helping to drive up the quality of
rented accommodation in parts of Birkenhead.
The proposal on the table, which the Council's Cabinet will be asked to send
through to public consultation at its next meeting, on 27 November 2017, is to extend
the scheme to cover 4 more parts of East Wirral, areas where there is a higher
than average number of private rented housing available and a high turnover of
tenants.
The 4 new areas proposed are:- Hamilton Square, Seacombe St Pauls, Birkenhead
West
and Birkenhead Central. These would join Egerton North, Birkenhead South, Seacombe Library and Egremont Promenade
South as Selective Licensing areas.
Cllr George Davies, Wirral Council Cabinet member for Housing and Community
Safety, said:- "Wirral residents demand; and deserve; to live in good
quality, safe and attractive housing. The availability of private rented
accommodation has more than doubled in Wirral in the last 10 years and while we
know that many of these properties are of an excellent standard, managed by
responsible landlords, there are others that aren't up to scratch.
We will not tolerate Wirral residents being forced to live in poor conditions by
irresponsible landlords. This licensing scheme is a good way for us to tackle
this issue and, where a landlord does not live up to their responsibilities to
their tenants, we will not hesitate to take action against them.
Our Selective Licensing scheme supports improvement in the quality of housing in
the areas of Birkenhead and Wallasey where it is applied. It has brought many
social and health benefits along with it and people from across the political
spectrum have rightly highlighted its success and championed it for their own
area, calling for its expansion.
This is where the Council needs to step in and use all the powers that we have
to drive up the standards of this housing on behalf of tenants and this is what
we are aiming to do by extending the Selective Licensing scheme."
A number of landlords living in the 4 existing areas, who have either failed to
obtain licenses for their properties or fallen foul of the conditions they
agreed to, have already been prosecuted by the Council, which demonstrates the
commitment the local authority has to the scheme and its objectives.
If Cabinet approves the business case and consultation plan, the next step is
for the Council to begin a 10 week consultation process to gather the views of
tenants, landlords and residents before making a final decision.
|
