News
Havering Council are consulting on plans to expand landlord licensing scheme
Havering Council has begun a consultation looking at plans to extend their existing property licensing scheme.
Since the current Additional HMO Landlord Licensing Scheme was launched in March 2018, enforcement action in the last 12 months has included:
- 133 Financial Penalty Notices issued to unlicensed HMOs.
- 23 Notices have been served warning landlords to improve standards.
- 27 multi-agency enforcement operations have taken place.
- 206 HMO licences have been issued.
Plans to expand the scheme from the current 12 wards would see licensing of all houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) rolled out to a further six wards in the borough, covering Cranham, Emerson Park, Hacton, Hylands, St Andrew’s and Upminster.
The council’s proposals also include introducing a selective licensing scheme to cover single family private rented properties in Romford Town and Brookland wards only.
Views are being sought from residents, landlords, tenants, letting and managing agents plus businesses, as the Council looks to extend the licensing scheme. The Council believe their plans to expand property licensing will have the following benefits:
- helping private rented properties offer residents a choice of safe, quality and well-managed accommodation.
- reducing anti-social behaviour in the private rented sector.
- further increasing enforcement action on landlords that operate below-standard and unlicensed properties.
- continuing to provide support to landlords who meet requirements and already provide good quality accommodation and service.
The consultation runs until Friday 20 September 2019 and you can submit your view by visiting www.havering.gov.uk/landlordlicenceconsultation.
The Council is also organising a series of consultation events with an opportunity to ask questions:
- Wednesday 3 July, 2pm-4pm, Upminster Library, 26 Corbets Tey Road, RM14 2BB [Residents/tenants]
- Wednesday 3 July, 5.30pm-7.30pm, Upminster Library, 26 Corbets Tey Road, RM14 2BB [Residents/tenants]
- Thursday 4 July, 2pm-4pm, Town Hall, Main Road, Romford, RM1 3BD [Landlords, letting and managing agents]
- Thursday 4 July, 5.30pm-7.30pm, Town Hall, Main Road, Romford, RM1 3BD [Landlords, letting and managing agents]
- Tuesday 20 August, 2pm-4pm, Town Hall, Main Road, Romford, RM1 3BD [Residents/tenants]
- Tuesday 20 August, 5.30pm-7.30pm, Town Hall, Main Road, Romford, RM1 3BD [Residents]
- Wednesday 4 September, 2pm-4pm, Town Hall, Main Road, Romford, RM1 3BDN [Landlords, letting and managing agents]
- Wednesday 4 September, 5.30pm-7.30pm, Town Hall, Main Road, RM1 3BD [Landlords, letting and managing agents]
Councillor Viddy Persaud, Cabinet Member for Public Protection and Safety, Havering Council said:
“After the successful launch of this scheme, this consultation will give us a chance to get views from residents, including those who are landlords not covered by the scheme. This is so we can see if by extending the scheme to other areas, it will help us increase protection to tenants, support landlords and further support our aim of tackling poor management, overcrowding and anti-social behaviour.“
A free guide containing more detailed information about property licensing schemes in the London Borough of Havering is available here.
For all the latest news and events, you can sign up for the free London Property Licensing newsletter here.
