24^th Mar 2017

Wrekin's body of landlords states that Telford and Wrekin council’s proposed selective licensing scheme will cost £610 per property for a five year term and will raise £1.2m for the authority's coffers; consequently tenants will end up paying for the scheme through increased rents.

The association's spokesman, Bernie Lewis, said: “The council appears to be blaming private landlords for anti social behaviour and littering which is nonsense. The council should concentrate on identifying the perpetrators who litter and carry out anti social behaviour and use the laws that are already here to deal with it."

He warned: “Hard hit local private residential landlords have had enough. Many are planning to get out of the business. It has all become too much for many small landlords.”

Any landlords, within the seven selected areas, who do not register in the scheme and pay the fee, will be fined of up to £20,000.

The online petition states that the council's plans could be in breach of the Equality Act 2010 and claims it is a form of discrimination.

The petition states that: “The Equality act clearly states that it is illegal to discriminate against a person in their work place or when buying or renting property. The council has failed to prove the need for the license to every landlord therefore they are discriminating against those landlords who clearly do not need to be licensed. Many of the proposed items are already covered by law and therefore the licence is not needed."

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