26th
Jul 2013
A public consultation has been set up by Sheffield City Council that may mean Sheffield landlords would have to apply for special licence to be allowed to rent properties in the Page Hall.
The proposals are stating that landlords must get a licence, costing up to £750 per property, to be able to let in Page Hall.
- Selective licensing enables LAs (local authorities) to extend the benefits of licensing beyond the mandatory licensable properties (large HMOs); it focuses on improving the management of privately rented properties accommodating single households. It is a discretionary scheme that empowers local authorities (LAs) to introduce licensing for all privately rented properties in a given area. The area must be an area of low housing demand or be experiencing significant problems with antisocial behaviour. see Selective Licencing -Low demand areas
Sheffield City Council says the introduction of the selective licence scheme would protect vulnerable tenants and their surrounding communities.
Local landlords are accusing the Council’s plans as another “income generator”. As passed under the Housing Act 2004, councils are able to introduce selective licensing of private landlords.
The council said that under the proposed licensing scheme, to become accepted landlords would have to prove beyond reasonable doubt that they were “fit and proper persons”
Amongst other recommendations, it called for landlords must provide gas safety certificates for any of their properties in the Page Hall area, and they must also have valid tenancy agreements already in place.
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Harry Harpham, cabinet member for homes and neighbourhoods, said that there was a steady rise of rogue landlords especially in Page Hall.
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"It is hard to believe that some landlords don't even ask for references when they let out properties.
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"Hopefully, by introducing selective licensing, we can clamp down on this minority of landlords who are causing such problems," he said.
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The five year licence fee is £750, however early payers would receive a third- off discount bringing the price down to £500.
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A fine of up to £20,000 faces any landlord who does not get licences for their letting properties in Page Hall.
A landlord letting properties in Page Wall said that the cost for a single property of £750 was far too expensive. The landlord said: "The landlords are going to try and recoup that, meaning increased rents in what is already a deprived area. Tenants will move out." Another landlord has put a suggestion to the city council saying that they should think about the implementation of a voluntary landlord licensing scheme.
The close of the public consultation will be in September and the final decision will be made shortly after.
PIMS Related Content
The Housing Act 2004 - introduced the licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation. Local Authorities are required to license larger, higher risk HMOs, which initially will comprise those of three stories and above occupied by at least five persons who constitute more than one household.
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England and Wales to follow flawed Scottish Licensing England and Wales are determined to introduce Landlord Licensing it is simply more a question of when not if- Should not the experience of licencing in Scotland be a lesson in reality, 
- Hot on the heels of Newham Council introducing the first Landlords License scheme, Liverpool City Council announces the opening of its city-wide Selective Licensing consultation.
- Southend Council proposing £400 admin fee for enforcement procedures
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