17th
Mar 2022
A PropTech firm is warning landlords that next month 11 new discretionary licensing schemes will come into force in April is a record.
It is the largest number of new licensing schemes launched in a single month since the first introduction of schemes way back in 2006.
By the end of April it means there will now be 113 ‘discretionary’ schemes in the UK’s 408 local councils and unsurprisingly the majority have differing rules.
The seven local authorities that will be introducing the eleven new Selective and Additional licensing schemes include Ealing, Luton, Liverpool, Lewisham, Charnwood and Durham affecting landlords and letting agents operating in those areas.
On April 6th, two of these new schemes will be introduced in Bristol which are an extension to the authority’s Selective and Additional licensing schemes.
Since Bristol’s previous schemes were first introduced, over the last five years more than 3,600 licences were issued by the council and around 3,400 inspections took place.
According to the council following the inspections, 88 per cent of properties were ‘improved’; the incoming schemes will cover larger areas of Bristol.
Orla Shields of the Prop Tech firm, says: “Our data shows that so far nine new schemes have already started in 2022 and including all the schemes set out to start in April, we are looking at 20 new schemes starting in less than four months.
“There are not only more schemes to look out for, enforcement through fines and Rent Repayment Orders are also increasing, so it’s important agents act to protect themselves, their landlord customers, and their tenants.”
Richard Merrick of PIMS, says:” Well tenants can expect to face a record month in rent increases as landlords will either ‘up’ their prices to pay for the fees or will be so disenfranchised by increasing regulations and legalised ‘cash grabs’ from authorities that they will sell up, reducing housing stock which will increase market rent prices.”
News Archive »