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London borough votes through TWO licensing schemes

hackney town hall and Caroline Woodley

Landlords of most privately rented homes in Hackney will need a licence to let out their property from next May.

The council has approved both a borough-wide additional scheme and a selective licensing scheme in 17 of its 21 wards - 76% of privately rented homes - meaning these will need a licence regardless of the number of tenants.

A selective licence will cost £925, significantly higher than its previous £500 selective pilot scheme, and well above neighbouring boroughs such as Brent, Lewisham, and Haringey.

Consultation

During the consultation, Propertymark spoke out against the plans which it said risked increasing rents and pushing smaller landlords out, particularly as the national PRS database launch is imminent. The letting agents’ body failed to convince it to lower fees in line with comparable boroughs. An additional licence will cost £1,400.

Hackney Council says it will raise standards in the sector and champion responsible landlords through advice, guidance and support, and will also have stronger tools to crack down on poor practice.

Believes

Mayor Caroline Woodley (pictured) believes most landlords do the right thing, but says too many renters face unacceptable conditions and poor property management. “These conditions don’t just harm individual tenants, they also contribute to wider issues in Hackney – from disrepair to antisocial behaviour,” she adds. “We’ll use every tool we have to enforce against landlords who don’t play by these new rules and focus on building up a network of responsible landlords in the borough.’’

Private rented homes make up nearly a third of residential properties in Hackney. However, a recent independent review of its PRS found that a significant proportion of privately rented homes may contain serious hazards - almost double the national average. These issues are even more prevalent in HMOs, with 30% in the borough predicted to have a serious hazard, three times the national average.

Tags:

Selective licensing
additional-licencing

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