Medway Council has given the go-ahead to new selective and additional licensing schemes which go live next January.

Landlords in parts of the unitary authority, which covers a large swathe of Kent including Rochester and Gillingham, will have to fork out £840 per property under the selective scheme, and £1,600 per property under the additional scheme – at the higher end of fees in England.

Although its online survey found 50% support the council’s selective licensing proposal, and 56% of respondents back additional licensing, the authority admits there were many criticisms about fees, particularly that they could be passed onto tenants.

It responded: “Whilst the council recognises that the licence fee is a cost to the landlord, this is not considered unaffordable compared to the average rental income obtainable in Medway at present. According to ONS the average monthly rental price in Medway is currently £1,238, meaning the selective licence fee would represent around a 1% reduction in rental revenue for the average property and additional HMO licence fee around a 2% reduction in rental revenue for the average property.”

Evidence

It pointed to evidence from other authorities with discretionary licensing schemes that there was no direct link between licensing and sustained rent increases above market levels.

There were also concerns about the council encouraging landlords to include clauses in their tenancy agreements about anti-social behaviour, and to manage their tenancies and ensure that ASB caused by their tenants was effectively addressed and, if necessary, appropriate action taken.

One landlord said: “Landlords should not be solely held responsible for tenant behaviour, and the council could play a stronger role in discouraging anti-social activity through fines, monitoring, and community initiatives.”

Medway estimates that it has 1,018 HMOs across all 24 wards. A council report explains that 232 of these are predicted to have serious hazards - 23% of all HMOs, which is more than double the national average of 10%.

Covers

The additional scheme covers six of the 24 wards: Chatham Central & Brompton, Fort Pitt, Gillingham North, Gillingham South, Luton and Watling.

The selective scheme will cover seven wards - 52% of the PRS in Medway: Chatham Central & Brompton, Fort Pitt, Gillingham North, Gillingham South, Luton, Strood North & Frindsbury and Watling.

The council adds that it will continue to monitor those wards not included in the selective licensing scheme and should the evidence change, then consideration will be given to introducing a third designation.

The schemes start on 4 January 2027.

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