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Property owners who rent property in the private sector,are being asked pay for a private rented property licence (per property), it varies in each area, £500 to £750, £1,000.00. What are your views on it, can it be stopped or delayed, or paid in installments over 1 Year?
At Councils discretion, this fee may be charged each year, or every 5 Years.
It’s an extra Tax on good landlords, already complying with regulations.
You will be asked to upload a copy of your PAT certificate, annual gas safety certificate and aksed to comply with various electrical and other general safety requirements.
The scheme is supposed to protect landords and tenants alike. The only thing this is going to do is increase the rent costs for tenants and nothing more.
Also at the Council discretion they can visit any time, (is this allowed under present law?) they don’t own the Property.
Effectively, it sounds like they or their Management agents, will treat Private Property with Tenants, as if it was their property, with council tenants, this can't be right, where are the Owners rights?, and the Tenant rights?
All licensed properties will be subject for inspection
The Tenants are not Council Tenants, they can issue fines at their discretion, even take over the management of the property, why is this allowed under present law, what rights does the Property owner have?
What are the Tenants and landlords right to privacy?, Can anything be done, it’s a private property, not a Council Property, or Council Tenants
There appear to be no additional benefits in paying into this scheme if you rent through an estate agent and all these checks on the property and the tenant are regularly carried out.
You have to pay the licence fee before a deadline date, otherwise there is penalty fees, Yet another form of Tax.
In areas subject to selective licensing, all private landlords must obtain a licence, it is the landlord’s legal obligation. Failing to do so could result in heavy-handed penalties, “If the landlord of a property in a selective licensing area doesn’t have a licence, he/she commits an offence that may be punishable by a fine of up to £20,000.”
But that’s not all, breaches of the licence can also incur extra penalties in the sum of £5,000.
You have to pay via credit card or Debit card, Is this allowed, you have no choice in the payment method, why not via cheque or Bank draft, or cash over the counter, at their admin offices?
We will contact unlicensed landlords with information about the scheme and how to apply.
If the landlord does not respond we will send a reminder,
but if there is still no response we will look to prosecute them for failing to apply for a licence.
Inspections
Licensed private rented properties will be inspected, if our enforcement teams become aware of issues, These will be scheduled appointments.
What will inspectors look for?
Everything a good landlord looks after as standard –
a property with well maintained, rooms, outdoor
spaces and appliances, good fire safety measures, no overcrowding, and signs that issues are dealt with promptly and effectively.
Officers will also need to check that the licence conditions are being complied with, for example we will need to see that
tenants have been provided with a written tenancy agreement.
How will you monitor the scheme?
As part of the scheme, there is a number of Key Performance Indicators which will be published in the Newsletter as well as using the Licensing Forum to scrutinise the scheme and make changes where necessary.
What are these KPI? Yet more costs to the Owner no doubt.
Landlords who break licence conditions could face
prosecution and fines of up to £5,000
Additional methods may be introduced such as:
A Management Order, to take control of the property from the landlord -
A Rent Repayment Order (RRO) for up to 12 months rental income
If a landlord genuinely participates in foul-play, there are laws already in place to enforce prosecution. This legislation won’t add any extra ‘needed’ penalties. All this is going to do is add an extra penalty on already prosecutable offenses.
· Tackling antisocial behavior: the most mystifying aspect about this scheme is that it’s meant to reduce levels of antisocial behaviour. I have no idea what statistical information was crunched in order to swing that conclusion, but I fail to fathom the correlation.
I understand how it might improve living standards for tenants, but beyond that, I see no overall advantage for landlords or the Tenant
Mortgage lenders have started to refuse lending in landlord licensed zones, which makes sense, but obviously that’s a massive concern, but not only regarding borrowing, but also other services like insurance cost rising in these areas.
"WE DON’T LEND ON PROPERTIES WHICH NEED A SELECTIVE LICENCE. THIS MEANS THAT WE ARE UNABLE TO LEND ON (BUY TO LET) ON ANY PROPERTY
This license is not going to protect tenants from “bad landlords”
It's just another form of Penal tax on us law abiding citizens.
Could it be a way of forcing some Landlords to sell, maybe to pay their fees, penaltys, and then the Council would obtain the Property for their Council Tenants.
that Antisocial Behaviour is Landlords' fault! How about the issue with unemployment, lack of jobs and the dark economic days we have been living in, or maybe that has something to do with the ASBOs roaming the streets!?
There seems to be so much legislation do we really need any more and will small scale landlords end up getting clobbered as well? It could force Landlords to increase rent, or sell their Property, with less Buyers wanting to buy in licenced areas.
What legal powers will licensing give to the council?
The council will adopt all legal powers as provided for by the Housing Act 2004
including:
the capacity to grant or refuse a licence
Right of entry
Requirement for a private rented property to have a licence
The requirement to impose additional licence conditions
The power to take over the management of any property that is required to be licensed but is not so
Licence holder definition
Who should be the CPRPLholder?
The Housing Act 2004 requires the council to only grant a licence to the most appropriate person,
which in most circumstances would be the owner of the property or the named landlord on the tenancy
agreement.
·
The licence holder must be the person who is responsible for managing and is in control of the property and must be a ‘fit and proper’ person
.
·
The licence holder should be able to authorise, organise and pay for essential repairs to the property
They must be available to the tenants should questions or problems arise in respect of the property, and must have the means to resolve them where reasonably practical
You can be a licence holder and live abroad though you will need to satisfy the
council that you have in place appropriate management of the property
Please be advised that if the proposed licence holder or manager fail the fit and proper test, your application may be rejected and the licence application fee will not be refunded.
It is not improving housing conditions, encouraging investment or doing anything to train landlords and letting agents.
Local authorities are also given too wide a latitude to decide on fees.
The scheme will add cost without adding any value. As such it will be bad for tenants as well as landlords.
Penalize landlords who at the end of the day are facilitating the supply of lettings
Indirectly push up rents.
Do local authority landlord licensing schemes ensure that landlords are trained and take a pride in what they do? NO (if they did, the National Landlords Association and the Residential Landlords Association would be in favour).
Are local authority landlord licensing schemes run by people who care about decent landlords & accept the valuable contribution made by the private rental sector and wish to support and promote it? NO.
Do landlord licensing schemes drive up standards of privately let accommodation? There is little evidence of this, and indeed councils already have powers to tackle bad landlords.
rejected the Enfield council scheme
http://m.enfieldindependent.co.uk/ne...dicial_review/
At Councils discretion, this fee may be charged each year, or every 5 Years.
It’s an extra Tax on good landlords, already complying with regulations.
You will be asked to upload a copy of your PAT certificate, annual gas safety certificate and aksed to comply with various electrical and other general safety requirements.
The scheme is supposed to protect landords and tenants alike. The only thing this is going to do is increase the rent costs for tenants and nothing more.
Also at the Council discretion they can visit any time, (is this allowed under present law?) they don’t own the Property.
Effectively, it sounds like they or their Management agents, will treat Private Property with Tenants, as if it was their property, with council tenants, this can't be right, where are the Owners rights?, and the Tenant rights?
All licensed properties will be subject for inspection
The Tenants are not Council Tenants, they can issue fines at their discretion, even take over the management of the property, why is this allowed under present law, what rights does the Property owner have?
What are the Tenants and landlords right to privacy?, Can anything be done, it’s a private property, not a Council Property, or Council Tenants
There appear to be no additional benefits in paying into this scheme if you rent through an estate agent and all these checks on the property and the tenant are regularly carried out.
You have to pay the licence fee before a deadline date, otherwise there is penalty fees, Yet another form of Tax.
In areas subject to selective licensing, all private landlords must obtain a licence, it is the landlord’s legal obligation. Failing to do so could result in heavy-handed penalties, “If the landlord of a property in a selective licensing area doesn’t have a licence, he/she commits an offence that may be punishable by a fine of up to £20,000.”
But that’s not all, breaches of the licence can also incur extra penalties in the sum of £5,000.
You have to pay via credit card or Debit card, Is this allowed, you have no choice in the payment method, why not via cheque or Bank draft, or cash over the counter, at their admin offices?
We will contact unlicensed landlords with information about the scheme and how to apply.
If the landlord does not respond we will send a reminder,
but if there is still no response we will look to prosecute them for failing to apply for a licence.
Inspections
Licensed private rented properties will be inspected, if our enforcement teams become aware of issues, These will be scheduled appointments.
What will inspectors look for?
Everything a good landlord looks after as standard –
a property with well maintained, rooms, outdoor
spaces and appliances, good fire safety measures, no overcrowding, and signs that issues are dealt with promptly and effectively.
Officers will also need to check that the licence conditions are being complied with, for example we will need to see that
tenants have been provided with a written tenancy agreement.
How will you monitor the scheme?
As part of the scheme, there is a number of Key Performance Indicators which will be published in the Newsletter as well as using the Licensing Forum to scrutinise the scheme and make changes where necessary.
What are these KPI? Yet more costs to the Owner no doubt.
Landlords who break licence conditions could face
prosecution and fines of up to £5,000
Additional methods may be introduced such as:
A Management Order, to take control of the property from the landlord -
A Rent Repayment Order (RRO) for up to 12 months rental income
If a landlord genuinely participates in foul-play, there are laws already in place to enforce prosecution. This legislation won’t add any extra ‘needed’ penalties. All this is going to do is add an extra penalty on already prosecutable offenses.
· Tackling antisocial behavior: the most mystifying aspect about this scheme is that it’s meant to reduce levels of antisocial behaviour. I have no idea what statistical information was crunched in order to swing that conclusion, but I fail to fathom the correlation.
I understand how it might improve living standards for tenants, but beyond that, I see no overall advantage for landlords or the Tenant
Mortgage lenders have started to refuse lending in landlord licensed zones, which makes sense, but obviously that’s a massive concern, but not only regarding borrowing, but also other services like insurance cost rising in these areas.
"WE DON’T LEND ON PROPERTIES WHICH NEED A SELECTIVE LICENCE. THIS MEANS THAT WE ARE UNABLE TO LEND ON (BUY TO LET) ON ANY PROPERTY
This license is not going to protect tenants from “bad landlords”
- Many landlords are already on tight budgets, so they’ll need to get that extra money to pay for the license from somewhere. Who do you think will be the most likely person they look to when it comes to passing on the costs?
- Even those that aren’t on tight budgets, it’s just another justified excuse to raise the already crazy rental prices. Letting agents will have a field day- because I’m sure they’ll somehow swindle this cost into their ‘admin fee’
- Instead of paying the license, wouldn’t both landlord/tenant rather spend that money on improving the property and making it more comfortable? In that sense, the license suddenly becomes extremely counter-intuitive.
It's just another form of Penal tax on us law abiding citizens.
Could it be a way of forcing some Landlords to sell, maybe to pay their fees, penaltys, and then the Council would obtain the Property for their Council Tenants.
that Antisocial Behaviour is Landlords' fault! How about the issue with unemployment, lack of jobs and the dark economic days we have been living in, or maybe that has something to do with the ASBOs roaming the streets!?
There seems to be so much legislation do we really need any more and will small scale landlords end up getting clobbered as well? It could force Landlords to increase rent, or sell their Property, with less Buyers wanting to buy in licenced areas.
What legal powers will licensing give to the council?
The council will adopt all legal powers as provided for by the Housing Act 2004
including:
the capacity to grant or refuse a licence
Right of entry
Requirement for a private rented property to have a licence
The requirement to impose additional licence conditions
The power to take over the management of any property that is required to be licensed but is not so
Licence holder definition
Who should be the CPRPLholder?
The Housing Act 2004 requires the council to only grant a licence to the most appropriate person,
which in most circumstances would be the owner of the property or the named landlord on the tenancy
agreement.
·
The licence holder must be the person who is responsible for managing and is in control of the property and must be a ‘fit and proper’ person
.
·
The licence holder should be able to authorise, organise and pay for essential repairs to the property
They must be available to the tenants should questions or problems arise in respect of the property, and must have the means to resolve them where reasonably practical
You can be a licence holder and live abroad though you will need to satisfy the
council that you have in place appropriate management of the property
Please be advised that if the proposed licence holder or manager fail the fit and proper test, your application may be rejected and the licence application fee will not be refunded.
It is not improving housing conditions, encouraging investment or doing anything to train landlords and letting agents.
Local authorities are also given too wide a latitude to decide on fees.
The scheme will add cost without adding any value. As such it will be bad for tenants as well as landlords.
Penalize landlords who at the end of the day are facilitating the supply of lettings
Indirectly push up rents.
Do local authority landlord licensing schemes ensure that landlords are trained and take a pride in what they do? NO (if they did, the National Landlords Association and the Residential Landlords Association would be in favour).
Are local authority landlord licensing schemes run by people who care about decent landlords & accept the valuable contribution made by the private rental sector and wish to support and promote it? NO.
Do landlord licensing schemes drive up standards of privately let accommodation? There is little evidence of this, and indeed councils already have powers to tackle bad landlords.
rejected the Enfield council scheme
http://m.enfieldindependent.co.uk/ne...dicial_review/
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