News
West London’s largest private rented property licensing scheme rolls out in Ealing
Ealing Council’s new private rented property licensing scheme came into force on Tuesday 3 January in a bid to drive up standards in homes across the borough.
The new selective licensing scheme is the largest of its kind in west London and will apply to all privately let properties in 12 wards based on the pre-May 2022 boundaries: Acton Central, Dormers Wells, Greenford Broadway, Greenford Green, Hanger Hill, Hobbayne, Lady Margaret, North Greenford, Northolt Mandeville, Northolt West End, Perivale and South Acton. You can view the map showing the area covered and look up the postcodes here.
There was already mandatory HMO and additional licensing schemes plus a small selective licensing scheme that applies to three wards based on the pre-May 2022 boundaries: East Acton, Southall Broadway and Southall Green.
With the proportion of the borough’s homes in the private rented sector increasing by 65% in the last 10 years, the council has committed to ensuring that private renters have access to safe, secure and decent homes.
Landlords who submit applications for the new scheme from 3 January to 3 April 2023 could receive a generous 25% discount on the licence fee, in addition to further reductions for accredited landlords.
Information about Ealing’s private rented property licensing schemes and guidance on how to apply can be found on the council’s private rented property licensing webpage, with a step by step guide alongside frequently asked questions.
Councillor Shital Manro, Ealing Council’s cabinet member for good growth said:
“Supporting our most vulnerable residents continues to be a priority for the council. As we move forward into a new year, we are doing all that we can to provide support to those most badly hit by the cost-of-living crisis and ensure that they are not taken advantage of.
“We have taken significant action to address problems in privately rented properties since the start of our previous licensing scheme, including serving over 800 enforcement notices, but there is still much work to do.
“Whilst the majority of Ealing landlords provide tenants with decent, well-maintained homes, there are a minority few that take advantage. Sadly, our officers continue to uncover cases where tenants are living in appallingly unsafe and dangerous conditions. That is why we have increased the areas covered by our licensing schemes, ensuring that we can protect more tenants and drive out criminal landlords.
“We are committed to reducing health and social inequality and want to ensure that people from all backgrounds can access safer and more secure homes, regardless of tenure. Property licensing will help us achieve this.“
You can find out more about private rented property licensing in Ealing by visiting www.ealing.gov.uk/prslicensing
Our free guide containing more information about property licensing and HMO planning rules in the London Borough of Ealing is available here.
For all the latest news and events, you can sign up for the free London Property Licensing newsletter here.
