5th
Sep 2022
Barnet council is going ahead regardless with its plan of re-introducing an HMO licensing scheme in October after a 15-month break.
The council’s previous HMO licensing scheme was introduced by the council in 2016 and ended July 2021, and after reviewing the scheme and holding a public consultation it will now re-instate the scheme for another five years from October 27th.
Following the three-month public consultation in 2021 the scheme has the backing of the chair of the authority’s housing and growth committee, Councillor Ross Houston who says: “It is important that we keep housing in the private rented sector at a high standard. Safety is paramount.
“Our officers work diligently to ensure high standards, which will benefit tenants, good landlords and our community. These new measures will also help further reduce anti-social behaviour that can sometimes be associated with HMOs, and that can only be a good thing for everybody.”
The scheme will include the majority of HMOs ‘hosting’ three or more tenants with licences costing £1,404 per property and accredited landlords will be able to take advantage of a 10 per cent discount.
The council claims 466 respondents took part in the consultation questionnaire, however it also held three events which only 29, landlords, agents and homeowners turned up to.
Around 53 per cent of respondents backed the re-introduction of the additional licensing scheme.
However 40 per cent supported selective licensing schemes, however as of yet the council has not provided any further details.
Richard Merrick of PIMS, says: "Reassuring to hear that the licensing costs will be ploughed back into keeping properties safe, rather than its coffers safe.
“Public perception of landlords will be they remain unaffected by the cost of living crisis, which is of course far from true, unfortunately some will have to pass the license cost onto their tenants.”
News Archive »