Controversy rages as more councils push for licensing schemes.

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Selective
Licensing:

One London Council,
Lewisham, is considering applying for government permission to charge
landlords up to £750 per property which it says will enable it to
route-out rogue landlords by inspecting thousands of homes in the
borough.

However, landlords
argue that this will simply increase their costs without effectively
cracking down on the rogues. The Residential Landlords Association
(RLA) says that these “schemes could harm landlords without
improving standards.� If approved, the RLA fears that other
authorities would follow Lewisham’s lead.

Lewisham’s
councillor Paul Bell, cabinet member for housing, has said that the
authority wants to use selective licensing to “reduce the gap
between good and bad landlords� from as early as February next
year.

The licences would
cost up to £750 for five years and there’s always been the
suspicion by landlords that not all of the money raised by these
schemes finds its way into the designated causes.

Lewisham’s
councillor Paul Bell however, says the schemes will make the entire
rental sector better.

Mr Bell says:

“The vast
majority of landlords are good, but we want to improve things for
everyone.

“We want to
crack down on rogue landlords, and reduce the gap between poor and
good landlords.

“The entire (private rented) sector will improve, because people will have more respect for the sector.”

Mr Bells says that Lewisham Council’s research shows around one-quarter of homes in the borough are in private landlords’ hands, and he indicated that there was a link with issues such as anti-social behaviour, fly-tipping and crime.

Mr Bell blames the
private rented sector for much of the homelessness in a borough,
where 2,000 households are now in temporary housing, which he says is
“…not an effective use of public money, and it’s not good for
the people in that situation.�

Following a local
consultation asking people for their opinions on licensing for
private landlords, which got over 1,800 responses, Lewisham’s cabinet
for housing will now decide on whether to ask for government
permission, and whether to roll the licensing scheme for all shared
houses.

Meanwhile, the RLA
is urging landlords and letting agents to respond to local licensing
consultations.

The RLA says it aims
to “respond to all licensing consultations run by local
authorities.�

Ongoing
consultations currently involve Bassetlaw District Council-selective
licensing closing 10th October, Wirral-selective licensing closing
14th October, Islington-additional licensing and selective licensing
closing 3rd November, and Enfield Council’s multiple schemes
closing 29th November.

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