A council claims its selective licensing regime has produced “significant improvements” in rental housing standards.
Peterborough council – which manages the scheme with a company, Safe Homes – requires landlords in designated areas to apply for a five-year licence confirming that their properties meet key standards.
In the first year, over 7,000 licence applications were processed, with more than 6,476 licences issued by the council following checks of safety certificates and application data.
Under the scheme, each licensed property is scheduled for two inspections over the five-year licence period.
Within the first 12 months of the scheme, the council claims nearly 1,500 properties were inspected and over 6,500 safety hazards being identified.
From these inspections, 49% of properties allegedly had at least one serious issue posing a significant risk to tenant safety, including damp and mould, unsecured plaster, faulty electrics, poor ventilation, and inadequate window glazing or fittings.
Following every inspection, Home Safe provides landlords with a report outlining any hazards identified and steps needed to address them.
The scheme includes automated reminders to renew safety elements such as gas safety records and energy performance certificates, keeping properties compliant.
A council spokesperson says: “The fact that so many issues have been resolved in a short space of time shows how effective the scheme has been and that such an initiative needed to be introduced.
“Once again, I would like to thank those landlords who have joined the scheme and are working with our officers to improve standards.”
The council is threatening landlords in designated areas who have not yet applied that they face a financial penalty notice of up to £30,000, an unlimited court fine, and may be ordered to repay up to 12 months’ rent to tenants.
This article is taken from Landlord Today