Majority of landlords in city against council's HMO licensing plans

Just 44% of landlords agree with Southampton Council’s plans to introduce additional licensing.

Councillors are due to vote tomorrow on the proposals which replace a previous scheme that ended last year, and cover the Banister & Polygon, Bevois, Bargate, Portswood, Swaythling, Bassett, Freemantle, Shirley & Millbrook wards.

However, while most respondents to its consultation agreed with the proposed scheme (86%), only 44% of landlords or management agents in the listed wards strongly agreed.

The proposed new scheme will see between 2,500-3,000 smaller HMOs and HMOs within private purpose-built student accommodation blocks subject to licensing. Along with the mandatory scheme this would result in about 5,000 of the city’s estimated 6-7,000 HMOs coming under a licensing regime.

Monitor and enforce

Additional resources will be used to monitor and enforce compliance, including HMO wardens to actively work in the designated areas to ensure licence conditions are being met.

The council reports that its previous schemes in the city have resulted in more than 3,000 smaller HMOs being licensed, which meant it was able to deal more effectively with poor property conditions, poor management and anti-social behaviour.

It explains: “Evidence from the previous scheme showed that licensing of these HMOs reduced complaints significantly. The council believes that a new additional HMO licensing scheme in the city covering the wards where HMO density is highest will provide a key tool to addressing management and conditions in the smaller HMOs.”

The current cost of a typical five-year licence is £795.