Huge Liverpool licensing scheme covering 45,000 homes prepares to sign up first landlords

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Liverpool’s huge new licensing scheme, covering about 80% of privately rented properties in the city, opens for applications this week after months of battles with the government to get approval for the scheme.

The council fought hard to win government approval for the five-year scheme, which runs from 1^st April, and was forced to scale down plans made in 2019 when former Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick thwarted its attempt to renew it until 2025. It finally got the green light in December.

About 45,000 of the 55,000 properties in the original city-wide scheme – which ended in 2020 – will be covered across 16 wards: Central, Riverside, Greenbank, Kensington, Picton, Tuebrook & Stoneycroft, County, Anfield, St Michael’s, Princes Park, Kirkdale, Old Swan, Warbreck, Wavertree, Fazakerley and Everton. Liverpool has a separate HMO licensing scheme covering more than 2,600 properties.

Earlybird

Landlords signing up before the end of June get an early bird discount which takes the total cost of a licence down to £380 per property, rather than £550. Other discounts include £50 off if the property has an Energy Performance Certificate rating of C or above.

Cabinet member for strategic development and housing, councillor Sarah Doyle (pictured), says it’s a major step forward to improving neighbourhoods.

She adds: “Too many vulnerable people in our city are in poor housing conditions, paying rent to a landlord who doesn’t carry out essential maintenance to keep them warm and safe. The landlord licensing scheme gives us regulation of private rented houses, so that we can take action when concerns are raised.”

Under the previous scheme, the council issued more than 2,500 legal notices, 169 formal cautions and 197 written warnings which resulted in more than 300 successful landlord offence prosecutions and 87 civil penalties.

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