Selective Licensing Scheme for Private Landlords - a force for good?

Gingernutty

The local council are keen to sell the benefits of selective licensing for private landlords in a carefully mapped out area of Wolverhampton.

http://www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/housing/selective_licensing.htm

My road is included in the area.

It is deprived and fairly scummy, I'll have to admit.

There are problem absentee landlords who don't move particularly quickly when their tenants play up.

However, having seen how the local council has screwed up around here, I'm pretty sceptical about how this is going to change anything.

The best wheeze was when the council started buying up houses along one street, got everyone out, stripped the houses until they were semi derelict, put up shutters to prevent trespassers and then gave up on the rebuilding scheme due to lack of funds.

Leaving an already scummy looking area looking like a ghost town.

It seems the council are one of our biggest problems.

Also, some of the worst tenants down my road are in social housing. I take it that housing associations are exempt.

Has anyone had any experience of landlord licensing and what effect, if any, has it had?

paddyrg

Those semi-derelict streets are horrible, I feel sorry for the poor older tenants and owners on the streets around Anfield stadium - the club bought up most of the houses looking to expand the stadium, but will probably build on a fresh site instead. If you wanted to make the perfect breeding ground for thieves and junkies, that would be a great way to do it, yet there are a few houseproud people still left there

theartfullodger

Scotland : patchy, probably a slight force for good. Also laws included to force Landlord to take action against Anti-social tenants, including depriving Landlord of rent until he sorts problem out. Call-me-Dave please note.

Cheers!!

PS Fine for not registering as Landlord now increased to £50k. Come on England, keep up!!!!

bambammy

Did you watch dispatches, Landlords from hell. They get away with a lot of stuff.

Registering means you agree too follow rules and pay a fee to follow those rules. The powers that are suppose to be in place, never get exercised, and the rougue landlords just continue on their merry way.