Redbridge Council in North London has given the go-ahead for a new borough-wide additional HMO licensing scheme.
The scheme extends licensing to all HMOs with three or more tenants forming two or more households after the authority’s consultation discovered significant issues such as poor housing conditions, ineffective management, crime, and anti-social behaviour persisting within the borough’s HMOs.
Redbridge is also hoping to extend its current selective licensing scheme which covers 12 wards. The scheme, which runs until 30th September – in Aldborough, Chadwell, Church End, Cranbrook, Fairlop, Goodmayes, Loxford, Mayfield, Newbury, Roding, Seven Kings, Snaresbrook – could also include parts or all of Barkingside, Fairlop, Hainault, Wanstead Park and Wanstead Village if it gets approval.
A consultation finished on 31st January and the council hopes that any replacement scheme will be in place by 1st November although it has yet to feed back on the results.
Penalties
It reports that since January 2021 it has issued 38 civil penalty fines to rogue landlords for health and safety hazard offences associated with a range of issues relating to disrepair, inadequate fire protection, overcrowding, and poorly managed waste arrangements, to landlords operating without a licence which put tenants at risk.
This has resulted in estimated fines totalling more than £170,000, the council reports.
Councillor Vanisha Solanki (pictured), cabinet member for housing and homelessness, says: “The licensing of properties plays a major role in helping to improve the quality of homes in the private rental sector. Most of our landlords are following the rules, but for those that aren’t, we encourage you to come forward and license your property to avoid receiving a potential fine.”