Leicester City Council has announced plans to introduce Selective Licensing to three areas of the city to target corrupt landlords and protect tenants in the private rented sector.
From this October landlords of privately rented houses in one of the three areas with a higher proportion of housing will be required to obtain a license from the city council.
They will also need to meet standards set by the council and ensure gas and electrics are safe and smoke, fire and carbon monoxide alarms are installed and monitored.
Additionally, landlords will be required to carry out repairs and maintenance, waste disposal and tenancy management and address antisocial behaviour.
Leicester assistant city mayor for housing, Cllr Elly Cutkelvin, said: ‘For many a private rented tenancy is the only chance of a decent home including for an increasing number of families. The need for good quality, affordable housing has never been greater.
‘Ultimately we find some of the worst conditions in the private rented sector and in areas where there is a high concentration of poorly managed properties, community concerns arise that lead to a decline, or feeling of decline, within an area.
‘We are committed to working with and supporting landlords and tenants to improve the quality of private-sector rented housing in the city and protecting the most vulnerable people by ensuring their housing and their landlords meet a higher standard in terms of management and safety.
‘Supported by a robust enforcement policy, actions to improve standards in the private rented sector encourage sustainable communities and promotes good health and wellbeing.”
The three clusters where Selective Licensing will be brought in include one encompassing Westcotes, Fosse, Braunstone Park and Rowley Fields wards, a second focusing on Stoneygate and a third in Saffron ward.
These areas have been chosen due to evidence of ongoing issues with landlords and allows the councils to strengthen its powers in tackling the issues.
The scheme is set to run initially for five years and licences will cost £1,090, with discounts available for early applications, charitable organisations, properties with good energy efficiency and landlords with multiple properties.
The news follows a three-month public consultation which took place between November 2021 and February 2022 which saw more than 1,100 people take the opportunity to comment on the issue.
Photo by Thomas Fryatt
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