News
Hounslow Council have relaunched their additional landlord licensing consultation
Having withdrawn their proposed additional licensing scheme in September 2019 following the threat of legal challenge (read here), Hounslow Council have launched a new additional licensing consultation exercise.
The new licensing consultation started on 18 October 2019 and runs for 10 weeks until 27 December 2019.
With the previous scheme having expired in May 2019, the council want to introduce a new additional licensing scheme to help the council effectively regulate and tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB) associated with HMOs.
The proposed scheme would extend licensing to all HMOs occupied by 3 or more people throughout the borough.
The scheme would also include so-called ‘section 257 HMOs’ but only where all the units are privately rented and where the building and all the dwellings in the building are either in the same ownership or considered by the council to be effectively in the same control.
The council say they recognise the need to encourage more privately rented homes to help meet housing demand whilst at the same time strengthening regulatory controls to help the most vulnerable tenants. They say the proposed licensing scheme will underpin the council’s priorities for “good homes and pleasant neighbourhoods” and “a clean, attractive borough”.
The council acknowledge that many landlords operating in the borough take their responsibilities very seriously and provide well managed, rented homes that are maintained to a good standard. However, they also note there are widespread issues of disrepair and housing hazards with poorly managed properties giving rise to significant ASB problems.
They believe the new licensing scheme will help them continue with the positive changes that have already been seen, continue to improve housing conditions and management in the private rented market and help the council to tackle rogue landlords.
The consultation exercise is open until 27 December 2019 and more information can be found on the council’s website.
A free guide containing more detailed information about property licensing in the London Borough of Hounslow is available here.
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